Termites are often called pests to every community in the world as they destroy properties and cause serious damage to homes. But do you know that they are among the most successful groups of insects on Earth? Colonizing most landmasses and continents except for Antarctica. They’ve survived for about 50 million years, and today there are close to 3,000 termite species living in most temperate parts of the world.
Here are some of our Top pick facts about Termites:
- They are closely related to Cockroaches – Even though they’re called white ants at some places, they are not ants at all, they are related to Cryptocercu, which is a wood eating cockroach.
- Termites were the first social insects to evolve a caste system, evolving more than 100 million years ago.
- They are pest into our homes, but do you know that they help in decomposing wood, plant fibers, and recycles dead trees , and so they are eco friendly.
- Their are microorganisms in the termites’ gut that help in the digestion of plant cellulose. This is called symbiosis as they’re beneficial to one another.
- They are trophallaxis meaning, they eat each others poop. This is to obtain the desired microorganisms in their digestive track to break down the wood they’re eating.
- Workers and soldier termites are almost always blind. Only reproductive termites have eyes, since they must fly to find mates and new nest sites
- Termites spend a great deal of time grooming each other as it keeps parasites and harmful bacteria under control within the colony.