Termites in missouri
Expert Pest Control Services In Missouri
Although there are approximately 2500 species of termites worldwide, only 4 are in Missouri. The most common and most destructive is the Eastern Subterranean Termite. Termites are social insects that form and live in colonies. The colonies consist of a king, queen, and three main cast members: worker termites, soldier termites, and winged reproductive termites.
- Soldier Termites
- Winged Reproductive Termites
- Worker Termites
Termite Identification
Worker Termite
Worker termites are the most numerous member of the colony and perform all of the labor for the colony including building tunnels, foraging for and consuming food (wood), feeding all colony members, constructing and maintaining the colony, and caring for the young termites. Worker termites deposit a pheromone scent in their trails, connecting the food source to the colony. Once a food source is found, they quickly consume it, return to the colony, and regurgitate it to feed the others.
Soldier Termites
The primary role of a soldier termite is to defend and protect the colony from threats such as ants, other insect predators, and rival termite colonies. Soldiers have a large head and powerful mandibles for combat. In a typical colony, there is one soldier to 20 workers.
Winged Reproductive Termites
Winged reproductive termites commonly referred to as “swarmers” are responsible for mating, laying eggs, and starting a new colony. When a colony is mature, the queen will produce winged reproductive cast members, often as many as 20,000-30,000 per year. These swarmers are new kings and queens of a new potential colony. Typically in the spring, these swarmers leave the colony to emerge and disperse from the active area. They can fly and drift as far as a mile from their swarm site, where they land, choose a mate, excavate in the soil, and start a new colony.
Why are termites dangerous to my home
Termites infest over 5 million homes in the United States every year and cause over $5 billion in property damage annually. Surprisingly, termites cause more damage annually than most natural disasters such as fires, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, and thunderstorms. Termite damage to homes or businesses is rarely covered by insurance companies. By the time you notice termite activity in your home, costly damage may have already occurred. In fact, the average termite damage repair cost in Missouri is between $3,000 and $11,000.
