Termite fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are termites?

Termites are social insects that live in colonies. They are sometimes called white ants, but they are not ants. Termites belong to a different insect group and are more closely related to cockroaches.

Termites have soft bodies, bead-like antennae, chewing mouthparts and six legs. Worker and soldier termites are usually pale, wingless and may have very small eyes or no eyes. Winged reproductive termites, called alates, have two pairs of similar-sized wings. After mating, they shed their wings and may start a new colony.

In bushland, termites are important decomposers. They help break down dead wood, bark, leaves, grasses and other plant material. At Field of Mars Reserve, termites are most likely to be found in fallen logs, dead branches, tree hollows, soil, bark and leaf litter.

A termite.

Termite colonies include different castes, such as workers, soldiers and reproductives.

Where do termites live?

Termites live in dark, protected places where they can avoid drying out. Some species nest underground, inside dead wood, in soil mounds or in nests attached to trees. Tree termite nests are called arboreal termite nests or arboreal termitaria.

Many termites build covered mud runways so they can move safely between their nest and food. These tunnels help protect termites from sunlight, dry air and predators.

Tree termite nests are important habitat structures. Some birds, including laughing kookaburras and sacred kingfishers, can excavate burrows into termite nests to make their own nesting chambers. The birds do not build the termite nest, but they use the strong, sheltered structure as a safe place to lay eggs and raise their chicks.

At Field of Mars Reserve, fallen logs, dead branches, leaf litter, tree hollows, bark, soil and tree termite nests all provide habitat for termites and many other animals.

Some termites build nests in trees. These nests may later be used by birds such as kookaburras and kingfishers.

What do termites eat?

Termites are best known for eating wood, but not all termites eat sound timber. Many species feed on dead plant material such as rotting logs, bark, grasses, leaves, roots and humus. Some species also feed on fungi or very decayed organic matter.

Wood is difficult to digest because it contains cellulose. Many termites can use this food because microbes living in their gut help break it down. This makes termites important recyclers in bushland, where they return nutrients from dead plants back into the soil.

Many termites feed on wood and other plant material using chewing mouthparts.

What is the life cycle of a termite?

Termites have incomplete metamorphosis. This means they do not have a caterpillar-like larva or pupa stage. Young termites hatch from eggs as nymphs that look like small, pale adults.

A termite colony begins when winged male and female reproductives, called alates, leave a mature colony. This often happens in warm, humid conditions. After flying, a male and female pair shed their wings, find a sheltered place and begin a new colony. The queen lays eggs, and the first young termites develop into workers that help feed and care for the colony.

As the colony grows, some termites become workers, some become soldiers and some become reproductives. Workers gather food, build tunnels and care for young termites. Soldiers defend the colony. The queen and king produce new termites.

A termite queen produces eggs while workers and soldiers help the colony survive.

What adaptations do termites have to help them survive?

Termites have many adaptations that help them live in colonies. Their social structure allows different termites to do different jobs. Workers collect food, build tunnels and care for the young. Soldiers defend the colony using enlarged jaws or, in some species, a pointed snout that can release defensive chemicals.

Many termites have pale, soft bodies and can dry out easily. To survive, they live in humid nests, inside wood or underground, and travel through covered tunnels that protect them from sunlight, dry air and predators.

Termites also have gut microbes that help them digest cellulose in wood and other plant material. Without these microbes, many termites would not be able to use wood as food.

Soldier termites have specialised heads and jaws that help defend the colony.

Why are termites important?

Termites are important decomposers in Australian ecosystems. They break down dead wood, leaf litter, grass and other plant material. This helps recycle nutrients and supports soil health.

Termites also help create habitat. Their tunnels, galleries and nests provide shelter for other small animals. Over time, termites can also help create tree hollows by feeding on and breaking down the inner wood of older, damaged or decaying trees. These hollows can later become important homes for birds, possums, gliders, microbats, reptiles, frogs and many other animals.

Tree termite nests can also become nesting places for birds. Laughing kookaburras and sacred kingfishers are two Australian birds that may dig into termite nests to create their own nest chambers. This shows how one group of insects can support many other animals in a food web.

Termites are also food for many animals, including birds, reptiles, frogs, spiders, ants, echidnas and other insect-eating animals. Although a small number of termite species can damage buildings and timber structures, most termites are important parts of natural ecosystems.

Termite activity can help create tree hollows used by many animals, including eastern water skinks.

Who uses termite nests and hollows?

Termite nests and termite-formed hollows help many animals, not just termites. In some Australian habitats, birds use old or active termite nests as nesting places. Laughing kookaburras can nest in a burrow excavated in a tree-dwelling termite mound. Sacred kingfishers may also use their strong bills to dig a nesting burrow into a termite mound, hollow branch or river bank.

Termites can also help create natural tree hollows by feeding on and breaking down inner wood. These hollows take many years to form and are very important for wildlife. Many Australian animals use tree hollows for shelter, nesting or raising their young.

Tree termite nests can provide nesting places for birds, while termite activity can also help create hollows in older trees.

Laughing kookaburras can burrow into tree termite nests to make a nesting chamber.

Common termites in Sydney

Termites can be difficult to identify without carefully looking at the soldier caste. One termite found in Sydney coastal bushland is the tree termite, Nasutitermes walkeri. It can make rounded nests on trees and is mainly associated with stressed trees, dead wood, poles and timber on the ground. It rarely attacks buildings.

Another well-known Australian termite is Coptotermes acinaciformis, a widespread native subterranean termite. It can nest underground, in tree stumps or at the base of trees. This species is one of the termites that may damage buildings, so suspected termites in houses should be checked by a licensed pest manager.

How can you help termites?

You can help termites and other decomposers by protecting natural bushland habitat. Leave fallen logs, dead branches, bark and leaf litter in place where it is safe to do so. These materials provide food and shelter for termites, beetles, slaters, millipedes, fungi and many other organisms.

Protect older trees, dead trees and hollow-bearing trees where they can be safely retained. These trees provide important habitat for wildlife, and termites can help form the hollows that many Australian animals need.

Avoid damaging termite nests, breaking open logs unnecessarily or using pesticides in bushland and gardens. If termites are found in a building, do not disturb them or spray them. Tell an adult and contact a licensed termite or pest management professional.

Fallen logs provide food and shelter for termites and other bush animals.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – explore more animals without backbones that live in bushland, soil, leaf litter and water.
• Insects fact sheet – learn about the body parts and life cycles of insects.
• Bush cockroaches fact sheet – learn about another group of insects that is closely related to termites and helps recycle plant material.
• Bull ants fact sheet – ants are sometimes confused with termites, but they are different insects.
• Beetle fact sheet – beetles are another large insect group often found in logs, bark and leaf litter.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet – leaf litter provides food and shelter for decomposers.

• Rock and log habitats fact sheet – fallen logs provide habitat for termites and many other invertebrates.

• Tree habitats fact sheet – tree trunks, hollows, bark and dead wood can support termite colonies.

• Eucalypt forest fact sheet– learn about the local bushland habitat at Field of Mars Reserve.

• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – learn about the reserve habitats that support termites and other decomposers.

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