Discovering a termite infestation on your property is alarming. While it’s reason enough to hire an exterminator right away, you should understand a little about how these unwanted critters thrive. Below are a few facts to know about their life cycle to help you combat the pests.

Life Cycle

The termite’s life cycle includes several stages. The sooner during the cycle, you discover a problem, the more quickly your exterminator can apply a termite treatment and eradicate the issue. If left untreated, the pests will cause extensive property damage.

Eggs

It begins when male and female termites flee their colonies and procreate. These are the specific termites whose sole job is to birth new termites. Once a male fertilizes the queen, she lays her eggs. They hatch as pale white larvae, upon which they go on to the next phase.

Molting

The molting process occurs when the larvae leave those pale white skins, known as exoskeletons, behind. At that point, they transform into nymphs, where they take on a distinct role in their colony. “Worker” termites are those that dig the deep tunnels responsible for causing structural damage to the wood in homes and businesses. The “soldier” termites, by contrast, don’t feed on wood cellulose. Their job is strictly to defend the colony from invaders. When they detect an attack on their nest, for example, they quickly protect it. Alates, or reproductive termites, are those that spawn future colonies.

Swarming

As they mature, alates develop eyes and wings to help them achieve their mission more effectively. During this stage, they leave the nest to expand by reproduction. As the swarmers meet in mid-air, they pair with one another, shed their wings, and create new nests. Termites tend to wait until after it rains to swarm outside, as the damp soil provides a friendly environment for them to nest. Otherwise, they swarm inside.

Termite Lifespan

The average queen termite has the potential to live for decades, assuming her environmental conditions support a healthy lifestyle. The colony, however, can outlive her with its enormous population. The workers and soldiers only live for up to two years on average, yet reproduce quickly. Exterminators eradicate those that create tunnels and significant damage to properties, which accounts for part of their limited life expectancies.

Coping with termites is a job for the exterminators at Leitchfield Exterminating. Based in Leitchfield, KY, the company offers residential and commercial services throughout the central portion of the state. Offering effective termite control services, they’ll eradicate the problem swiftly to ensure that your property doesn’t suffer. Visit them online to learn about how they can help, or give them a call at (270) 234-1295 to schedule an appointment.