Termites & Other Wood-Destroying Insects: Fact or Fiction?

Fact or Fiction? Subterranean termites feed only on wood.
FICTION! Subterranean termites will eat any material containing cellulose. Items containing cellulose include, wood, cardboard, paper, and some plant material.

Fact or Fiction? Although termites can consume almost any cellulosic material, they cannot actually receive any nutrition without the help of symbiotic microorganisms living in their digestive tract. FACT! Large numbers of microorganisms living in the digestive tract of termites break down the cellulose and release nutrients that can then be absorbed. As protozoa in the termite’s gut break down decaying wood, they generate carbon dioxide and hydrogen, which leads to the production of acetate (a source of nutrition for termites).

Fact or Fiction? Subterranean termites must maintain contact with the soil.
FICTION! Subterranean termites need a constant source of moisture to survive. Although subterranean termites normally remain in contact with the soil, if conditions are suitable (i.e., there is sufficient moisture + wood), then termites can remain aboveground.

Fact or Fiction? Termite workers are both male and female.
FACT! The termite workers are both male and female but they are functionally sterile. Workers are the caste that damage wood.

Fact or Fiction? A termite nymph (the stage that hatches from the egg) may molt into the worker stage only.
FICTION! Some termite nymphs will molt into workers, some will molt into soldiers, and others will molt into reproductives.

Fact or Fiction? As with ants, the termite reproductive caste contains a queen only; males die after mating.
FICTION! The reproductive caste always includes a king (male) and a queen (female). The king mates with the queen for life. This is very different from ant colonies. Ant queens mate when young and store sperm in a specialized organ called a spermatheca to fertilize eggs for several years until their death. Males die relatively quickly after mating.

Fact or Fiction? Mature subterranean termite colonies may contain supplementary reproductives.
FACT! Mature termite colonies may contain supplementary (also called secondary reproductives). They only mature into primary reproductives upon the death of a king or queen, or when the primary reproductives are separated from the colony. There may be more than a single supplementary within a colony.

Fact or Fiction? Termites are related to cockroaches.
FACT! In a study published in 2014, biologists used genetic analysis of 48 termite species around the world. They found that cockroaches and termites shared a common ancestor and diverged about 170 million years ago. Read more here.

Fact or Fiction? Drywood termites are found in North Carolina.
FACT! Drywood termite infestations occur in structures along NC coast. Drywood termites may also be brought into NC in infested furniture brought here from other states such as Florida, California, and New Mexico.

Fact or Fiction? Both the adult and larval stage of wood-destroying beetles feed on wood.
FICTION! Adult wood-boring beetles do not feed in wood. The larvae tunnel through wood as they feed, producing the characteristic sawdust-like frass in galleries. After pupating in the wood, new adults leave exit holes when they emerge from wood.

Fact or Fiction? Carpenter bees not only nest in wood, but also feed on wood.
FICTION! Carpenter bees only nest in wood; they do not eat wood. Carpenter bees actually feed on pollen and nectar.

Fact or Fiction? There is no danger of being stung by grabbing a carpenter bee that has a white marking between its eyes.
FACT! Male carpenter bees have a distinct white marking between their eyes, and because all male bees and wasps lack a stinger, there’s no danger of being stung. Females, however, DO have stingers and are capable of stinging!