At the heart of every termite colony is something that is integral to the colony. We are speaking of the termite queen. All termite colonies run using a caste system and at the top of the system is the queen. The termite queen is the most protected insect in the colony. The queen is important to the colony’s founding and the continued growth of the colony.
Termite colonies are found when a potential queen insect finds her perfect match after she joins a mating swarm. Termite swarms are both male and female termites that are looking to reproduce in order to establish their own colony. All of these termites come together from already established termite colonies.
Unlike worker and soldier termites, “reproductive” termites are equipped with wings and most are darker in color. These are the termites that are in charge of keeping the species alive. After two of these termites mate, they will rip each other’s wings off to signify that they have started a colony together. They then continue on to find a place to begin their colony.
Lastly, adults tend to live 5 to 6 months, which is much longer than the normal insect average lifespan. With that being said, it is important to realize that these disease-spreading bugs can live a long time, making it easy for their population to increase rapidly and spontaneously. Keep an eye on local reports that tell you if the mosquito population around your home will be bigger than usual this year.
Unfortunately after mating the male reproductive dies. This leaves the female, now the queen of the colony, in charge. The queen of the colony is now in charge of maintaining and increasing the population of her colony. The queens of the colonies are the most important part of the colony; if the queen is attacked the whole colony will suffer and potentially even die out.