Wondering if an insect is going to bite can be really stressful, so we’ve put together this article to inform you about termites. The jury seems to be out on the question: do termites bite humans?
Some pest control experts agree that insects can bite. Others tell us that they do not bite humans, only timber, their favorite munchies. What I can tell you is that while these bugs may bite or pinch this is a very rare occurrence.
Do Termites Bite? - Learn Where These Insects Come From!
What are Flying Termites?
Termites make their nests underground and do not like coming into daylight. They are not like ants that have a nest, but come out into the open to forage for food. The one exception for this is when a colony matures, grows wings, and swarms to make a new nest. This is a very short stage of life and is the only time anyone is likely to come into contact with a termite.
Some people have caught what they believed was a flying termite in the act of biting them. However, swarmers (as they are called) have nothing to bite you with. It’s possible the insect may have been a flying ant as they look similar.
The body of a flying termite is straight and it has straight antennae. The larger flying ant has a ‘waist’ and a crooked antennae. There is no need to fear harmless flying bugs like you might fear bees or wasps when they swarm. The only danger lies in them breeding and forming a new colony that can damage your home, that's where thinking of home remedies to get rid of termites becomes more essential.
Where do Termites Stay Underground?
Termites always stay underground unless they are swarming because exposure to sunlight will kill them. They make underground tunnels from their nest to their food source, which is timber of some kind, whether a house attic or just a plank of wood on the ground.
Once they get to this timber, they still refuse to come out into daylight. Termites make tunnels into the timber using spit and mud and there they are protected from daylight while they do their damage. These insects happen to do more damage in the dark, just like a roaches feeding up your apartment cupboards (of course they are methods best for killing roaches).
What are the Different Types of Termites?
Within the colony there are different kinds of insects, just like in a beehive. The soldier termites have the job of protecting the colony, so they are equipped for it with longish pincers.
If you should find a colony and pick up one of these little critters, it could give you a nip. However, they are very slow moving and will certainly not jump on you like a flea. Rather, they will try to get away from the light, back into their tunnels.
Very few people come into contact with a colony and if they do, they are unlikely to pick up a creepy crawly. The best way to deal with termites:
- If you see termites, leave them undisturbed
- Purchase termite baits to lay yourself
- Better still, call a professional termite pest control expert
They will come and lay the bait for them to take back to their main nest. In this way the whole colony will be wiped out.
If you disturb these insects in your house you may only get rid of the ones you can see; their nest could be a long way away. More may then come to eat your house and you may not find them the next time.
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