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What is a termite? |
by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
The mighty mighty termite is a type of small insect that is often most famously known for feeding on wood! Termites are usually brown, gray, or white in color. Similar to ants and bees, termites live in colonies where each member has its own special job. Termite colonies have three kinds of groups: Workers, Soldiers, and Royalty (King and Queen).
Worker and Soldier termites are very small (only about one-quarter of an inch) but some, like the Queen, can be bigger – in fact, a Queen termite can grown to be up to four inches long, which is 16 times bigger than most of the others!
Termites live in nests that are sometimes built into wood and other times tunnel into the ground and will mound above the ground kind of like anthills. Because termites eat wood, they sometimes cause damage to homes or other buildings that are made out of wood. However, their special appetite can also be good -- by eating dead wood (like in a forest), termites help to “recycle” dead matter and return nutrients to the soil!
Termite Trivia!
Worker and Soldier termites are very small (only about one-quarter of an inch) but some, like the Queen, can be bigger – in fact, a Queen termite can grown to be up to four inches long, which is 16 times bigger than most of the others!
Termites live in nests that are sometimes built into wood and other times tunnel into the ground and will mound above the ground kind of like anthills. Because termites eat wood, they sometimes cause damage to homes or other buildings that are made out of wood. However, their special appetite can also be good -- by eating dead wood (like in a forest), termites help to “recycle” dead matter and return nutrients to the soil!
Termite Trivia!
- Did you know that some cultures have been known to eat termites? It’s true! In certain places, a Queen termite is even considered to be a delicacy!
- Even though the King and Queen termite have wings and eyes, the Workers and Solders are all wingless and blind!
- Sometimes, a termite colony can survive for as long as about 100 years!!
