Termites
They are delicate insects that live a social life in the form of colonies, where they contain reproductive individuals, namely the king and queen, and sterile non-winged ones, which are workers and soldiers, and each type of these individuals has its own function within the colony.
Termites spend most of their lives away from the light, as they move inside mud tunnels made by workers, where termites follow these tunnels to reach food sources. Termites are one of the most important insect pests spread in the tropics, tropics, semi-tropics and temperate regions, and there are about 2000 species of termites in the world, while more than one type of termites has been recorded in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Termites feed on cellulosic materials such as wood, paper and clothing.
Termite colony members:
1 : The maid
The worker is the one who takes care of feeding the queen and feeding all the members of the colony, and it results in all the damage caused by termite infestations, and it represents most of the colony members with a percentage of up to 97% of the colony.
2 : Soldiers
Soldiers are sterile and blind insects with strong and toothed jaws and are responsible for guarding and protecting the colony, and they represent about 3% of the colony's members.
3 : Sexual release
They are fertile insects, have wings and have eyes, and appear in the fall and spring and turn into queens and kings.
4 The Queen
It is responsible for reproduction, reproduction and egg production, laying about 6 eggs per minute.
Termite division:
There are two types of termites
• Termites for wet and dry wood
It lives above the ground and does not need to come into contact with the soil and makes tunnels.
• Subterranean termites
It lives underground and stores its food inside the colony.
Termite life cycle
The queen lays eggs after being fertilized by the king. The eggs hatch after about two weeks to produce nymphs that go through a series of growth stages before turning into workers, soldiers and sexual individuals, which in turn infect new places to form a new colony and a new queen.
Signs or symptoms of termite infestation:
1 : Cracks, cracks or demolition in the walls.
2 : Eating wood, pieces or wooden furniture.
3 : The presence of mud tubes across walls, windows and doors.
4 : Falling wings of sexual individuals.
5 : Descents in the floors.
Termite control ( Anti termite ) :
• First termite control before construction
Before building in the lands designated for construction, the land must be thoroughly cleaned of wood residues and remnants of cellulosic materials such as wood residues, leaves, dry plants and cartons, then the ground is sprayed and the soil treated with a pesticide solution designed to combat termites, as it leaves an extended residue in the soil to prevent and repel any attack from ants. White on the building, and the soil is sprayed with the solution abundantly at a rate of 5 liters of the solution per square meter of soil.
The longitudinal area is also treated with spraying at a rate of 5 liters of solution per linear meter.
• Second termite control after construction
After construction, and in the event of termite infestation in the building, holes should be made around the walls at a rate of 5 holes per linear meter, and these holes should be injected with a solution of termite insecticide at a rate of 1 liter of the solution for each hole as well as around and inside the doors and wooden pieces, and an external trench should be made Around the building and adjacent to the outer wall, a width of 30 cm and a depth of 30 cm, and sprayed with a solution of termite exterminator at a rate of 5 liters of solution per linear meter.
Comments