What should you know about the anatomy of a termite?
- Mandible
- Waist
- Antennae
- Wing Length
Oftentimes, pest control services need to be present before you are made aware that termites are riddling your home. If not for free pest inspections, termites will wander around your house unscathed and without the worry that you will deal with them. This is why it pays to know what termites look like so you can instantly deal with them at the first sign of their appearance.
Knowing the anatomy of the termite is a proactive way to prevent termite damage and ultimately, eradicate their presence in your home. It may sound too extensive to study about this particular topic, but when it brings significant advantages for you and your property, then you will know that you have made the right choice.
Termites can be extremely hazardous and invasive which is why you should know better and call pest control services to eliminate them as soon as possible. If you would like a closer look at the termite then this article is for you.
Mandible
The mandible is another term for the termites’ powerful jaws — the primary reason why they are so destructive. These little mandibles of theirs can be used to strike at wood, cellulose, clothes, structural beams, foundations, books, and furniture. It is said that when they feed on their chosen food, they will perform a rapid, ballistic, and destructive movement – the reason for the damage done to your home and possessions. In addition, they use their head and mandibles to defend the colony against other invaders, capture prey, and evade predators. If they can do that to other insects, just imagine the damage they can do to your home.
Waist
Oftentimes, ants and termites are mistaken for each other. There is a way to avoid this, and it is to look at the termites’ waists. Termites usually have straight waists while ants are characterized to have pinched ones. This will come in handy if you are in doubt whether that pesky insect in your home is a termite or an ant.
Identifying termites can be hard, especially if you do not know what they look like. It becomes even more confusing when you learn of the three main castes of termites. The first and largest caste is the worker termite which acts as the provider for the colony. Second, the soldier termite protects the colony and is equipped with a large set of mandibles just for this task. Lastly, the reproductive caste may be one of the most important in the category because they are responsible for creating new termite colonies.
One thing is for sure, every single one of these insects have straight waists which you can identify if you take a closer look.
Antennae
It is said that termite antennae look like a string of beads; coincidentally, this is also one of their similarities with ants. Termite antennae serve a special function by helping them navigate their way through the area by detecting odors in the environment. The antenna shape is the common culprit among people who mistake termites for ants. However, one thing that you have to keep in mind is that termites have straight antennae while ants have bent antennae. The elbowed antennae shape in ants is what keeps their appearance separate from the termites’. The next time you see an insect with a straight antenna crawling along your walls, you should contact a free pest inspection real quick.
Wing Length
Now this is a tricky way to identify termites because their wings are too tiny and are sometimes difficult to see. However, you should always remember that termite wings have the same length while ants which have wings that are of different lengths. Ants’ front wings tend to be longer than their hind wings, which is not the case with termites. This is an important category of the anatomy of termites because termites tend to shed off their wings in the area that they are in which is an explicit sign that termites have entered your home. If you find insect wings strewn about in your home, then you should take this as a sign to call the nearest pest control provider to deal with the situation.
Key Takeaway
There you have it, these are the parts of the termite that you should pay attention to. If you find yourself agreeing with particular points in this list then you should pay attention and deal with the termite situation as soon as possible. Protect your home against termites at all costs, contact our team here!