Termite: A Very Simple Insect But With Much Complexity

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Termite: A Very Simple Insect But With Much Complexity

While most people focus on the damage that can be caused by termites in dry wooded areas, they also cause much destruction in other desert environments. The destructive behavior of the desert termite, which includes feasting on the foliage of trees and plants, is also found in their natural prey, birds, lizard species, and mammals. The two kinds of termites have somewhat different but similar ways in which they destroy and invade new habitats: the desert type excavates tunnels into the soil in search of food, while the arid type feeds on decayed plants and tree saplings. The types of soil typically consumed by the desert type include clay, sand, and silt; while the arid type usually invades grassy areas or decimated plant species.

Desert termites do not have the social structure of other termites. They live in small colonies, where each member is assigned a specific role, such as the queen, king, and soldiers who are responsible for carrying out the colony’s tasks. There is little difference between a colony of desert termites and a colony of the more “well behaved” arid kind, though the termites in Arizona do have some noticeable differences. For example, the females of desert colonies are larger than those in arid types, and they are bigger than the males, whose genitalia are nearly straight and whose bodies carry prominent genital blotches.

Desert termites tend to eat a lot of grass and leaves and prefer to feed on plants which flower at night. They form enormous mounds known as “rumors” and may deposit concretions, tiny stones, and other waste materials in these mounds. When this happens, the mounds are covered with a fine soil that acts as an ideal habitat for the termite. It is believed that these insects travel in large groups called flocks. Other species of termites living underground include subterranean ants and even certain types of beetles and moths.

If you need help with termites in Arizona contact Atomic Pest Control to schedule a termite inspection with our experts

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