Every aspect of life has order and purpose, even that of the tiniest population of termites. Termites have a hierarchy within a colony, with the termite queen sitting atop the throne. This queen has the important job of reproducing and creating the entire colony of termites herself. This job may seem the most irritating to us humans because more termites equate to more problems. However, within their colony, reproduction is of the utmost importance. If there were not a queen to reproduce, there would be no termite colony, to begin with. You might be asking yourself why any of this matters, and the answer is simple: the termite queen controls the entirety of the colony. She controls the population of the colony, where they travel, and what they consume. So, the future of your property lies in the hands of a tiny yet mighty termite queen.
Aside from her important roles within the colony, she stands out due to her sizable stature. The queen is significantly larger than the typical worker termite, measuring around 4-6 inches. Typically the queen will be pale white and somewhat sluggish. You’d likely never realize you are looking at a termite because she doesn’t look regal at all. In actuality, The termite queen will look like most other termites aside from her larger size.
The Hierarchy of a Termite Colony
The politics of a termite colony are somewhat impressive. Every termite in the colony has a specific job, and each has limitations to their physical ability by these jobs. There are a few main castes within the termite colony, and each has a role within their home.
The Termite Queen
The termite queen is obviously at the top of the termite food chain. As discussed above, she controls reproduction within the colony and is protected by the lower castes. The queen is born from mating two reproduction termites from different colonies. Once these two termites mate, a new colony is born, and the queen’s job of building a colony commences. The termite queen is responsible for the creation of the following termite castes.
Workers
Worker termites are just as they sound: they’re the ones doing all the heavy lifting. These are the termites that gather food, feed other colony members, and work on the nest. These are the termites that you’ll typically see throughout your home, gnawing through your property like it’s a buffet.
Soldiers
The soldier termites are the ones that protect and move the colony safely. These termites are ready to fight and protect their queen. They only live for about two years and are much less common than worker termites. You’ll likely never see a soldier termite in action.
Though there are different castes of termites, one thing unifies them all. All of the termites we just discussed were created by the queen herself. This task alone makes her the hardest-working termite in the colony.
The Queen Termite’s Lifespan
The termite queen’s life begins due to the mating of two reproductive termites. The minute her life begins, she is put in charge of the task of creating an entire colony. Within her life, there will be about a 10-year stretch in which she is in her prime for reproduction. Within these 10 years, the queen should produce millions of termite offspring, approximately 1 egg every 15 seconds. Furthermore, the queen is one of the longest-living in the colony. She should live for at least 25 years and up to 50 if she remains healthy.
Now you might be asking yourself how only she reproduces in the colony and why other termites do not reproduce. The termite queen blocks the development of reproduction termites. The termite queen can release a pheromone that blocks the development of other termites and their mating abilities. Once the current queen starts to decline and meets the end of her days, this pheromone will stop being produced. This means that there is no longer a block in the development of reproducing termites, and two will conjoin and form a new queen. Thus, fulfilling the circle of life for a termite queen.
The Termite Queen’s Role within the Colony
The termite queen is paramount within her colony. She increases their population and leads them in every endeavor. You’d be the luckiest person alive if you were to find a termite queen. Once the termite queen has been dealt with, the colony could likely end, and you’d rid yourself of the problem at hand. If you have a termite issue, schedule a free inspection with 855Bugs pest control in Waco Texas today!
