What do arthropod termites eat to grow up? How to tell if there are termites at home? What are the natural enemies? How to destroy it?

Termites, also known as worms and water ants, are common insects in tropical and subtropical areas. they reproduce quickly and like to eat pine-scented wood, man-made fibers and other objects, so people attach great importance to them. What do termites eat to grow up? How to tell if there are termites at home? What are the natural enemies? How to destroy it?

What do you eat to grow up?

Termites eat a wide range of food, its nutrients come from plants, plant cellulose and its products as the staple food, both fungi and lignin, occasionally starch, sugars and proteins and so on. However, termites are also common to eat man-made fibers, plastics, wires, cables and even bricks, stones and metals, which are corroded and melted by chemicals such as formic acid. In addition, it can also devour the dead termites in the same nest, the old skin shed during the development of the young ants, and even the young ants when there is a lack of food from the outside. However, swallowing each other is not their normal way of nutrition, the food of termites can be summarized into the following aspects:

Living plant

Many species of termites can feed on the roots and stems of plants, especially seedlings, tender stems and roots.

Dry plant cellulose plays an extremely important role in the whole diet of termites. many species of termites not only feed on natural wood and dry plants, such as dead stumps, litter and wood parasitized by wood rot fungi. Black-winged termites and yellow-winged termites also feed on sun-dried cow dung. In addition, termites can also eat a variety of processed products containing cellulose, such as paper, cloth and so on.

Although termites eat a lot of cellulose, termites alone cannot complete the whole process of digesting cellulose. Except for the termite family, there are a large number of single-celled organisms in the intestines of termites, including four classes of protozoa (flagella, sarcopoda, spora, ciliate) and bacteria. More than 300 species have been named. These microbes have a symbiotic relationship with termites, and only with the help of these microorganisms can cellulose digestion be transformed into substances that termites can absorb and use.

Microorganism

Termites can also supplement other nutrients from microorganisms. some termites feed on fungi. There are two types of fungi. One is cultivated by termites in a special way, and the other is not specially cultivated by termites.

Mineral substance

Termites secrete a high concentration of formic acid, which reacts with silver to form silver formate, a black powder that is eaten by termites.

Other

Dead termites, molting young ants, ant eggs and young ants, termites also often eat some books, archives, paper, cloth, silk and other fiber materials.

The way to tell if there are termites in the house:

1. Look at the vents. It is generally believed that termites regulate the temperature and humidity in the nest. The diameter of the ventilation hole is less than 1 mm, such as pinholes, there are more than 10 to 20, arranged irregularly into clusters, or arranged into dotted lines. The vent is close to the nest, so when you find the vent, you find the nest.

2. Look at the split flyhole. The orifice of the winged adult flying apart, usually in the shape of a long strip, sealed with mud. Fenfei hole is very close to the nest, the distance is rarely more than 10.3 meters, look at feces. After feeding, termites discharge loose yellowish-brown or dark brown mud, which usually accumulates on or near the periphery of the ant nest.

To prevent termites, you should pay attention to these areas:

When decorating, spray the wire slot and wire box after laying the wall and changing the line (before sealing cement), spray all the wood when entering the field (positive and negative sides, but the panel should not be sprayed, the lines should be sprayed more), install the floor spray before the wooden floor (tiles and other floors do not need to be sprayed), April and May is the season for termite grouping and breeding, and every night from 7: 00 to 8: 00, especially the hot and humid weather before and after rainfall. Doors and windows should be closed and lights should be turned off in time to avoid attracting termites to build nests.

Introduction of natural enemies:

Termites have a social sex life similar to that of ant camps. Natural enemies in nature can be divided into parasitic natural enemies and predatory natural enemies. Parasitic natural enemies are mainly fungi, bacteria, viruses and mites, and predatory natural enemies are spiders, ants, dragonflies, anteaters, pangolins and so on.

Parasitic natural enemies of termites

Many species of termites have parasites of fungi, bacteria and viruses in their nests, many of which can cause termite disease and eventually lead to the death of termites until the whole nest is destroyed. In addition, the mites parasitic in the nest can sometimes kill termites.

Predators of termites

1. Natural enemies that cannot break the nest: the natural enemies of the termites that cannot break the nest mainly prey on the winged adults of the termites, or the exposed termites or enter the nest without destroying the nest and induce the termites to feed, such as spiders, ants, dragonflies, frogs, birds, chimpanzees and so on.

2. Natural enemies that can break the nest: the natural enemies that can break the nest of termites can destroy the nest and hunt termites directly from the nest, such as pangolin, echidna, giant ant bear, aardvark, armadillo, platypus, anteater and so on.

Prevention skills:

1. Spraying ant spray

If you find its whereabouts in any corner of the house, don't panic. We can go to a larger mall to buy ant spray or insecticide, which is generally sold in larger malls, and the medicine is very effective. The price is relatively close to the people, so just buy a bottle, and then spray it in the small holes and holes in the corners where some termites exist at home. After each use, put the spray in a place away from the light and out of reach of children.

2. Find a termite nest

If you find a termite queen, don't just spray it, first of all, we have to find its nest, because its reproduction speed is very fast, so you can't get to the root of the problem if you eliminate the one in front of you, so we have to find the termite nest and kill it at once, so that we can get to the root of the problem.

3. Useless waste can be thrown away as soon as possible

We all know that the place where termites like to stay is trees, so the place where termites are most likely to breed in rural families is on the firewood, and we are sure to find that the wood with termites is basically gnawed and full of holes everywhere. so as soon as you find it, you have to deal with it immediately, throw it away if you can't, burn it quickly, and you can't stay for a long time. Otherwise, it will breed in large numbers and eat other wood products at home.

4. Ask professionals to kill ants.

If the number of termites is very large and cannot be killed, families with conditions can invite professional pest control companies to kill termites on their doors. they have professional tools and measures to kill ants, but they need to pay a certain fee. so families with conditions can consider this method to kill termites thoroughly.