White ant termite (Forest pest)

The white ant termite is a common species of insect that can be found in many parts of the world. These termites are known for their white coloration, which can make them difficult to spot in certain environments.

White ant termites are a type of social insect, and they live in colonies that can number in the tens of thousands of individuals. These insects are important members of many ecosystems, and they play a vital role in the decomposition process.

Table of Contents

Order: Isoptera.

Family: Termitidae.

Species of White ant termite

Microtermes obesi.
Odontotermes obesus.
Termes taprobanses.

Pest characters of White ant termite

They are social insect and their colony organizations are based on a caste system. In a colony, there are numerous workers, one queen and a king, and a good number of complementary forms.

Nature of Damage of White ant termite

Termite is widely distributed. In the nursery, this pest attacks the plant from the time of seed germination that of transplanting. Much of the subsequent termite, attack on transplants is due to injury to the roots at the time of lifting.

Termites first attack the dead root can continue to feed living tissue when the resistance of the plant is lowered. Attacking a young plant show the outer leaves drying up, which could be easily removed at this stage.

Management/Control Measure of White ant termite

Nursery first to be cleaned. The termite nest should be located and destroyed mechanically.
The use of wood ash heaped around the base of tree trunks, or mixed into seedling bedding soil, is reputed to reduce termite attack.
Current termite control methods rely largely on the use of persistent organochlorine (cyclodine) insecticides.

Are white ants the same as termites?

Yes, they are technically the same thing in terms of meaning. People call them white ants due to misunderstanding or slang. Professionals usually refer to termites as ‘termites’ because of their scientific nomenclature.

Why are termite called white ant?

Termites are commonly nicknamed “white ants,” yet their main connection to ants is their sociality, which evolved a caste structure over 100 million years ago.

How can you tell the difference between an ant and a termite?

In terms of wings, termites and ants are similar in size. Ants have a distinct body shape with three distinct body segments. Termites have three segments, but not the ant’s narrow waist. So do termites.