Do People Ever Find Termite Eggs?
Do People Ever Find Termite Eggs?
A termite colony starts with an oversized queen laying her eggs. Termite eggs are large enough for humans to see without having to squint their eyes. The eggs are of an ovoid shape and they look similar to the fish eggs that are served as caviar, only termite eggs are white and semi-transparent. Queen ants are large enough to lay dozens of eggs at a time, so you will never see one single egg; instead termite eggs are always clustered together in large numbers. Although termite eggs are easy to see, you will rarely find termite eggs out in the open. Termites, like any other egg-laying organism, aims to protect the eggs from intruders. This is why eggs are often tucked away into hard to spot locations. Termite queens will lay their eggs in many different sheltered areas. For example eggs are sometimes hidden behind walls, or in most cases, beneath the ground. But this does not mean that termite eggs are not sometimes found by humans.
In most cases when termite eggs are discovered an infestation has also been noticed. When termite colonies grow, some mature members will fly away to establish new colonies. These flying termites are called “alates”. When these flying termites are noticed by homeowner’s, a thorough search for termites around their home usually follows. As you can imagine, most homeowners are disturbed to find termite swarms near their homes. If indications of an infestation are found, such as termite droppings (frass), a homeowner may find the termite nest that contains eggs. However, if the termites are subterranean, which is most likely, then the eggs are likely sheltered below the soil’s surface. Obviously, these eggs are almost never discovered, but the infestation can still be eradicated by a professional. When termite eggs are discovered, then worker and soldier termites will almost certainly be found surrounding the eggs in order to protect them from hostile intruders. The workers, do not protect the eggs like the soldiers do; instead the workers nurture the larvae that are hatched from the eggs. Rarely, termite eggs are discovered without other termites present. These eggs were likely abandoned after reproductive termites became the new king and queen of a colony.
Have you ever discovered a termite infestation on your own? If so, did you find eggs?