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1. Types of termites found in Australia
Termites are considered one of the most invasive and worst pests in
Australia and all around the world. Every year, huge destruction occurs
due to termites in homes and businesses. People opt for various pest
control options and other measures to keep them away from their homes.
Termites do not usually pose a threat to humans but having a termite
infestation in a house can have an indirect impact on your health. As
termites are attracted towards damp and moldy areas of the house, and
due to their feeding activity, wooden structures are decomposed, and that
decayed wood is susceptible to the growth of mold. Many allergies can
be caused to humans due to the growing mold on the walls, ceilings,etc
in the house. Termite Treatments Gold coast
Do you know there are more than 360 species of termites in Australia?
However, not all of them cause economical damage to wood and crops.
Termites are a very crucial part of our biodiversity and ecosystem. They
are found in diversity and possess different abilities to damage our
surroundings. That’s why you must be able to distinguish between both
qualities of termites. You should know which termite is harmful while
which termite is not for your economy. This would save a lot of hassle as
well as keep the environment safe.
After research, we have found various essential types of termites in the
environment of Australia. In this blog, we will explain the types of termites
so that next time you know which are your enemies and which aren’t. We
will also try to take a scientific approach while explaining the types of
termites. We will also add some general callings to make them easily
understandable. First of all, we will discuss termites according to their
feeding patterns and nesting schedules.
Subterranean Termites
If you are worried about the type of termites that you saw in the wooden
furniture of your building then most probably, it is the subterranean
termite. They are most commonly found in indoor furniture. Also, when
found outside they are mainly found in deadwood which is in touch with

2. the soil. Mainly this condition is created by trees, stumps, and branches
falling from trees.
They have an amazing capability of digesting almost all kinds of wood.
However, these are mostly found on the wood that has already started to
rot. If you are thinking that you saw some subterranean termites in your
backyard tree stumps, then you are most probably right.
If we talk about the survival conditions for the termites then these need
moisture around them. They exist in the surroundings where normally
they will find moisture along with the soil. They also make their nests
around the spaces where they can access water along with the soil. For
this purpose, they try to tunnel through soil or timber. When the dry
season comes, they tunnel even deeper into the soil for getting some
moisture.
Drywood termites
After subterranean termites, next comes dry wood termites. These
termites live in small groups. The small group here signifies members
less than 1000. If you will see dry wood termites in a plank of wood, then
the whole bunch will be around or less than 1000. However, there can be
several other small colonies that can reside in a timber object. Mainly,
these feed themselves around the annual rings of the wood. Annual rings
are the circular patterns formed in the stem of a tree and these rings
signify the age of the trees.
These are different from the first-mentioned types of termites. These
termites do not attack the grain or outer texture of the wood instead they
attack the annual rings. However, they are not very keen on heartwood.
They are very fond of softwood as well as hardwood. All the moisture is
taken from the ground by these termites. The growth of these termites
also happens in very unrecognizable ways. They remain undetected for
several years and then suddenly the swarm of the termites can reappear.
As we mentioned, there is a certain limit to their colony number so they
also change their colonies sometimes. When the swarm keeps growing
at a certain point the termites leave the colony and find a new position of
infestation. This can be regarded as a critical point of the swarm group
here.

3. Dampwood termites
These are mainly found in rotten woods and timber. As the name
suggests, they are very fond of moisture around them. They are found in
places where the soil is in contact with a good amount of moisture.
Places like water leak points or waterlogging checks are ideal spots for
such termites. They are mostly found in the outside environment instead
of inside. Mostly they live on timber that they take as their food.
For damp wood termites also, the condition is similar to dry wood
termites. These are not easily detected. They take years to get detected.
Their colonies are not large. They live in small colonies. But different
species can live together. In the whole cluster colony of the damp wood
termites, there are more chances of finding them as a group of different
species instead of a uniform group. There are various reasons which can
cause this similarity of co-existence to arise.
Dampwood termites can also work as a signal point. Like if you see them
in a building or a house, then most likely it is due to over moisturization of
the place. So, this indicates that the place has more water than it should
be. This helps in understanding the changes required to better enhance
the water management system. You can also find these termites in living
trees. But in those trees, they don’t live as a symbiote. Instead, they live
as a decomposer. They digest or eat the dead and rotting wood while
leaving the healthy wood aside.
If they arise in a building or apartment, then you don’t need to worry as
they are easy to get rid of. You can just simply remove the moisture-
causing factor and the termites will be gone too. That’s why they are
considered minor pests and not a large infestation.
Main Australian Pest Termite Species
Some specific species are found in Australia. Now you know that
basically, we divide termite species into three different categories. It’s
time to discuss the specific species found in that region now. The native
species evolution determines which type of termite will be found in a
region. It can be due to location and indigenous factors. Here, we are
describing the main termite species that are found in Australia.

4. Coptotermes acinaciformis
This species belongs to the family of Rhinotermitidae. The termite looks
yellow and rectangular. They have narrow brown shade mandibles. Their
build is around 7mm long. They are divided into soldiers and workers.
This indicates that they have a well-established hierarchy. A few of their
members mainly soldiers produce a white sticky substance which they
use to protect their living spaces or nests.
In the defense mechanism, the front part of the head release white
watery liquid. These termite species are not found in molds normally. But
in specific regions named Queensland and some tropical regions of the
country, they are found in form of molds. They are mainly found on the
trees like eucalypts and peppercorns.
It is the most hazardous species of termites in Australia. If this species of
termites gets enough moisture then it doesn’t require soil specifically.
There are also huge colonies that are found inside wood and timber
which are not provided with soil in any form.
Mastotermes darwiniensis
These are brown and yellowish in their appearance. They have rounded
heads along with small black mandibles. They are also divided into
soldiers and workers. They show a segmented hierarchy in their colonies.
The soldiers are mainly around 11-13mm long while workers are 10-
11.5mm long.
They are the very first or most primitive species of termites. They show a
huge resemblance to cockroaches and share a lot of traits with them.
characters like having an anal lobe or producing eggs are shared with
cockroach traits. They don’t form molds. They are mostly found in nests
built in-ground.
If we consider their natural habitat then their colonies are not large. But
in extreme cases, millions of termites can be present in one colony.
However, it depends on the availability of supporting resources as well
like water and food. They can cause havoc in agricultural fields as well as
in buildings. They also attack poles, railways, timber, plants, crops, etc.
Cryptotermes genus

5. The species named Cryptotermes brevis belongs to this genus. It is one
of the most hazardous termite species if we consider it in damage
criteria. It also has various other termites like C. domesticus, C. dudleyi,
C. primus, etc. These are mainly found in New South Wales, South
Australia, etc.
Conclusion
There are various termite species in Australia. Some of them are very
hazardous and can cause huge destruction to the economy of the
country. However, some of the species are not very damaging but still,
their existence is unwanted. Moisture is the most important factor in
giving birth to termites. To make sure that your house is not riddled with
termites, annual termite inspection is highly recommended. Upon finding
of live termites, they shouldn’t be disturbed. Call us and our experienced
technicians can treat the termites for the safety of your house!