7B Ch2 Cheat Sheet: Termite Biology & Wood-Destroying Pests

🎯 Top 5 Traps

1

Workers do all the damage. Soldiers only defend; reproductives only mate. Workers feed everyone via trophallaxis AND chew the wood. "Soldiers eat wood" is a common wrong answer.

2

Termites vs ants — three differences. Termite waist = broad. Ant waist = pinched. Termite wings = all 4 equal. Ant wings = forewings larger. Termite antennae = straight. Ant antennae = elbowed.

3

Drywood termites need NO soil contact. Subterranean must keep soil/moisture contact (or an aboveground moisture source). Drywood don't need either — they nest IN the wood.

4

Drywood pellets = six concave sides. Hard fecal pellets pushed out small holes; six longitudinal depressions on the sides. Subterranean = no pellets, just mastic-like packed frass.

5

Carpenter ants do NOT eat wood. They excavate galleries (sandpaper-smooth, no frass inside, attracted to damp/decaying wood). Termites EAT wood; carpenter ants HOLLOW it for nesting.

🔢 Numbers You Must Know

Number

What It Represents

1/32 inch

Foundation crack width that allows subterranean termites to enter

20%

Minimum wood moisture content for wood-decay fungi to grow

3 to 5 yrs

Colony age before primary reproductives are produced

2 to 3 yrs

Time from new colony establishment to serious structural damage. Also worker/soldier lifespan.

6 to 12

Eggs in queen's first batch

140 degrees F / 4 hr

Heat treatment to kill drywood termites

15 degrees F / 4 days

Cold treatment to kill drywood termites

~50 / 2,000+

U.S. termite species / worldwide species

🐜 Termite vs Ant Swarmer

Feature

Termite

Ant

Waist

Broad, no constriction

Pinched, narrow

Wings

4 wings, all equal length and shape

Forewings larger/longer than hindwings

Antennae

Straight (bead-like)

Elbowed (bent)

Body color

Swarmers are darker than other castes

Variable by species

Wing fate

Break off after short flight

Persist longer

👑 Subterranean Termite Castes

Caste

Job & Identifying Features

Workers

Most numerous. Creamy white, wingless, eyeless, soft-bodied. Do all the work — foraging, feeding, grooming, building, repairing. They eat the wood. Lifespan 2–3 yrs. Sometimes called "white ants."

Soldiers

Defend the colony. Large reddish-brown heads with strong mandibles. Face outward at openings, attack ants/intruders. Lifespan 2–3 yrs.

Primary reproductives (swarmers/alates)

The original king and queen plus their swarming offspring. Dark, flat bodies, large eyes, 4 equal wings. Swarm on warm humid days (often after rain), spring or fall.

Supplementary reproductives

Wingless or short non-functional wings. Develop as needed; replace injured/dead queen quickly. Become the colony's main egg source. Can split off + start new colony by budding.

🔀 Easily Confused

Pair / Group

Distinguishing Feature

Subterranean vs Drywood vs Dampwood

Sub: nest in soil, build mud tubes, mastic frass. Dry: nest in wood, no soil contact, hard 6-sided pellets. Damp: needs high-moisture wood, doesn't keep galleries clean.

Workers vs Soldiers

Workers: do everything (feeding, building, eating). Soldiers: defend only — large mandibles, can't even feed themselves.

Primary vs Supplementary reproductives

Primary: full wings, swarm to start new colonies. Supplementary: wingless or short wings, replace queen, can bud off new colony.

Eastern subterranean vs Formosan

Eastern (R. flavipes): most common in Michigan and N. America. Formosan (C. formosanus): Gulf/Atlantic coasts only — NOT in Michigan.

Termite damage vs Wood-decay fungi

Both attack damp wood, easy to confuse. Decay fungi require wood moisture >20%. Use a moisture meter to confirm.

Carpenter ants vs Termites (galleries)

Carpenter ant galleries: sandpaper-smooth, no frass inside, often coarse sawdust nearby. Termite galleries: packed with mastic frass.

🔍 Damage ID Quick Reference

Match the damage description to the pest. The exam loves this format.

Damage Pattern

Pest

Sealed galleries lengthwise in springwood, packed with hard mastic-like frass, mud tubes nearby

Subterranean termites

Round openings, thorough excavation, hard sandlike pellets with rounded ends and 6 longitudinal depressions

Drywood termites

Galleries sandpaper-smooth, rounded edges, NO frass inside; coarse sawdust may be near damage

Carpenter ants

1/3- to 1/2-inch round hole on side/edge/end leading into long tunnel (3–24 inches); turns at right angle, goes with grain

Carpenter bees

1/16 to 1/8 inch exit holes, advanced galleries across grain, frass with elongate/bun-shaped pellets, hard- and softwoods

Powderpost (Anobiidae)

1/8 to 3/8 inch exit holes, mostly with-grain tunnels, fine/coarse frass that sticks together, hardwoods (ash/oak/hickory)

Powderpost (Bostrichidae)

1/32 to 1/16 inch exit holes in newer/poorly seasoned hardwood, loose powdery frass with NO pellets

Powderpost (Lyctidae)

1/4 to 1/2 inch oval/round holes, extensive sapwood tunnels, coarse packed frass

Longhorned beetles

Heavy damage with only 1–2 oval exit holes externally visible

Old house borer (only longhorned beetle requiring control)

💡 Memory Hooks

Termite vs ant — "WAW": W aist (termite broad), A ntennae (termite straight), W ings (termite equal). All three "W/A/W" features point AWAY from ant.

Drywood pellets — "6 sides": hard pellets, six concave sides. If pellets show up, think drywood. Subterranean leaves no pellets.

Castes — "WSR": W orkers W ork (eat, build, feed). S oldiers S tand guard. R eproductives R eproduce.

Subterranean vs Drywood — "Sub needs soil; Dry needs nothing". Subterranean must contact soil OR have constant moisture. Drywood is fully self-contained in wood.

Carpenter ants — "Hollow, don't swallow". Carpenter ants excavate but do NOT eat the wood. Smooth galleries, no internal frass.

Ch.2: Termite Biology & Wood-Destroying Pests