[TERMITE CONTROL] Market Update: TERMITES

How is the termite season going for your firm? Have termites started swarming yet? Will they ever swarm? And how have you positioned your company’s termite services for 2011? In January, PCT magazine surveyed 250 of its readers about this year’s termite season. Here’s what your peers had to say. (Only those firms that perform termite control answered the questions on this page.)

Termite Biology Fun Facts

• Termites are among the most ancient of insects. Their fossilized remains have been found in formations more than 100 million years old. 
• In nature, termites are very beneficial since they recycle wood and other cellulose-containing materials that other organisms cannot. Feeding by termites enhances the decomposition of organic matter and the return of nutrients to the soil. Their tunneling helps to aerate soils and promote plant growth.
• As a byproduct of termites’ digestion, termites also produce methane. Since methane is a “greenhouse” gas that accumulates in the upper atmosphere, scientists are hopeful that these insects may one day provide clues concerning global warming and climate change. 
• Like other insects, termites have six legs and a body divided into three main regions: head, thorax and abdomen. Situated on the head is a pair of straight antennae made up of tiny bead-like segments. Also on the head is a pair of mandibles used for eating, defense and other functions. 
• Individuals within a termite colony may appear quite different and perform specialized tasks. These life forms, known as castes, include workers, soldiers and reproductives. The workers are usually the most numerous individuals in the colony, and the caste that feeds upon wood. 
• Termites are not pre-destined at birth to become a member of a particular caste. Rather, caste determination and abundance depend on the continually changing needs of the colony. 
• Termites engage in trophallaxis, the mutual exchange of semi-digested food among colony members. Trophallaxis enables the efficient sharing of nutrients, distribution of pheromones involved in caste regulation, recognition among nestmates, and transfer of digestion-aiding microbes 
• As is true of all cold-blooded creatures, temperature strongly influences termite activity. Studies have shown that subterranean termites will not forage in areas where upper level soil temperatures are either too hot or too cold. Optimum temperatures for termites range from 75°F-95°F. At temperatures above 100°F or below 25°F, termites may die in a matter of minutes. 
• More than 2,300 species of termites exist worldwide. About 50 species occur in the United States, and of these, about 20 are pests of structures.

Source: 10th edition of the Mallis Handbook of Pest Control.