What Does Termite Moulting Look Like?

Castoff skins or moultings of termites would not be a common sight even in an infested building. Termites undergo complex changes during the moult and spend this period underground while bodies shed old chitin and build new exoskeletons. Poisons that interfere with this process provide the most effective counterattack against established colonies.

Appearance

If a termite moulting were available for inspection, the appearance would be an empty shell with the same size and shape as the termite that once lived in it. As insects grow, the hard skin of chitin--the exoskeleton--does not grow with them. When it's time to expand, internal changes separate the body from the hard skin. The skin splits, and the insect struggles out. The new skin soon hardens. Many insects leave the shell behind--termites recycle.

Moulting

At any given time about 10 in every 1,000 termites in a colony will be moulting. For the duration of this nearly two-week-long process, the termite stops working and stays in the underground chambers of the mound. Five days before the old shell splits, the termite regurgitates the entire contents of its digestive system--including the bacteria that digest the cellulose termites gather. Other workers aid the moulting termite by peeling away the old skin. Wasting nothing, the workers consume the castoff skeleton. After the moult, the termite swallows the feces of other workers to reactivate its digestive system and, within a few days, returns to foraging.

Termite Baits

The heart of a termite nest may be located deep under a building and out of reach. The most effective way to eliminate a mound tricks the foraging termites into bringing poison home. Pieces of wood intentionally left near the building attract workers and then are replaced by poison bait. Workers carry the bait back to the colony. Chemicals in the bait interfere with the termites' ability to make chitin--at the next moulting, the insects die. This slow but effective assault may take months.

Types

Most termite infestations in the United States involve subterranean species. Some are native to the Americas, but others like the Formosan termite--common from Texas to Florida--are recent immigrants. In the deep south and in some parts of southern California, termite threats include a species that lives above ground and feeds on dry wood. Combating the dry wood termite--marked by red body and black wings--requires different treatments than those for the subterranean termite, with black body and white wings.

Signs

Small mud tunnels plastered on foundations or even interior walls and ceilings offer the most obvious sign of termite infestation. These closed runways provide safe passage for the foraging workers wherever the insects cross open territory. Without the mud tubes for protection, workers would be vulnerable to predators like ants, and their delicate bodies would dry out.

References

• Termite Moulting
• Termite Baits
• Termite Identification

Resources

• Termite Fact Sheet