You probably know a bit about bees and the different roles they have: the queen bee at the heart of the hive with drones to serve her and workers to go out collecting pollen. Termites also have different roles in their colonies, but the organisation is more complicated, which is why there are different types (‘castes’ is the technical term) of termites you may come across.
The queen is in charge of egg production to keep the colony going. There is usually only one queen in each colony, and she can live for up to 20 years.
The king fertilises the first eggs and helps establish the colony.
Workers are the termites that can have white or very pale brown bodies and are responsible for the ‘white ants’ nickname. They make up most of the colony’s population and are the most likely ones to take up residence at your place. They are the first type you may come across, but only if you expose them. They quickly dry up in the open air, so they won’t come out in the open voluntarily.
Soldiers have the job of defending the colony. They often look similar to workers but are larger.
Reproductives are the second class of termites you may see signs of. They grow wings and leave the nest in swarms looking for new spots to colonise. They can only survive for a short time in the open air, so you may come across small piles of dead ones or discarded wings.
Termite distribution
Although the coastal belt and northern parts of the country are generally regarded as the highest-risk areas for subterranean termite infestation, species which damage timber-in-service occur throughout mainland Australia. In practice, any structure containing wood is at risk of subterranean termite infestation – whether in the business heart of a city, in the suburbs or out in the country – unless protective measures are taken.
Termites are social insects, working and living together in colonies. Some subterranean termite queens can produce 2000 eggs per day and mature termite colonies may number up to two million individuals and exist for as long as 50 years. A termite mound is the most familiar form of termite nest, but many termites have a completely underground existence, apparently without a central nest. Most of the species that do damage to buildings will have a central nest in the soil, or in dead or living trees
