They Serve a Purpose
Termites eat through and breakdown tough plant fibers, thus helping with the decomposition process. If that is in the woods, it's great. If they're in your home, it's awful and you need organic pest control to stop the destruction. Yet, termites, as bad as they are for a house, are critical to helping maintain the health of a forest. They also serve as aerators of the soil, which helps make sure soil is healthy. The issue here is that we build our houses out of termite food.
They are Microorganism Powerhouses
To digest wood and other tough plant fibers, termites have to have a little help. In this case, that help is via microorganisms that help break down cellulose. The termites house the bacteria, harvest, and eat the wood and the bacteria get busy breaking it down. In that way, they help keep the circle of life moving along.
They are Related to Cockroaches
Termites share a common ancestor with the cockroach. That ancestor lived hundreds of millions of year ago. The earliest fossil of a termite dates back to the Cretaceous period, making them pretty old. They also hold the record for oldest example of mutualism between organisms as well; there's a 100 million-year-old termite encased in amber whose ruptured abdomen was full of protozoans that lived in the termite’s gut.
The Fathers Actually Father
Watch a lion pride and it becomes pretty obvious the father is kind of lazy. In fact, that's a theme throughout nature. It's not the case with termites. A termite King sticks with his Queen and fertilizes her eggs as needed. He also plays the role of dad and helps feed young termites predigested food.
The Workers and Soldiers are Blind
Because both of these types of termites never leave the darkness of their nest, they have no need for eyes and have never developed any. In fact, reproductive termites are the only type of termite that has developed eyes. This helps them locate and identify mates and new nest sites.
These are five interesting facts about termites that you should know before you contact your local house pest control agent. It won't stop your desire to rid yourself of termites, but it is interesting. There are many other interesting tidbits about termites you should check out. If you'd like more information or a consultation, give the experts at Inspect All Atlanta a call.