
Termites Control Services Singapore – The Wood Eater
Commonly found termites in Singapore:
- Subterranean Termites, Coptotermes spp.
- Drywood Termites
General Termites Identification
- Incomplete metamorphosis
- Egg -> nymph -> adult
- Termites have straight pointing beady antennas
- They look quite similar to ants but are pale white to a pale yellow
- A swarm of termites can be darker colored, much like most species of ants
- The reproductive adult termite’s pairs of wings are the same size
- While the flying ant’s wings are not
- Presence can be determined by wood colored fecal pellets or by mud tubes
- They live in caste system which consist of reproductive, workers and soldiers
- All three castes have different roles to play within the colony
- The Queen has the longest life span, up to decades under ideal climate conditions
- Workers and soldiers live up to 2 years


Fun facts
- Termites are actually important decomposers
- They break down tough plant fibers, recycling dead & decaying trees into new soil
- Termites work 24 hours per day and never sleep
- Due to some resemblance to ants, they are often called as “White Ants”
- The Queen lays millions of eggs during her lifetime
- In Singapore, two-inch long termite queens are considered a yummy food treat
- Termites are social insects
- The queen lays eggs and workers find food and maintain the nest
- Workers will share the food throughout the entire colony
- This process is called trophollaxis
- The best measure to manage termites is through baiting
- Where the workers will then share the baits to the rest of the colony
- Soldiers’ role is to ensure safety of the colony
- Termite soldiers when sense danger to the colony will sound the alarm
- By banging their heads against the gallery walls
- This sends warning vibrations throughout the colony
- There are about 2,000 known species throughout the world
- It is reported to cause more than $5 billion in property damage worldwide
- They use pheromones for interactions and to control each other’s behavior
- They leave scent trails to guide other workers using special glands on their chests