A to Z of Pests

Damp Wood Termites

Neotermes spp.

Appearance

• 5-10mm in length.
• Brown in colour.
• 2 pairs of long slender wings which are deciduous.

Lifecycle

• Primary Queens can lay several thousand eggs a day.
• A colony has a King and Queen - the only termites to mate, although it is not uncommon for a colony to have an additional breeding pair.

Habits

• Colonies can contain up to several million termites.
• A self-organised swarm which prefer damp conditions.
• This group of termites feed on decayed wood such as old tree stumps, rotting logs and pieces of buried timber. Once established, they can move into sound wood structures in buildings.