A termite king is the father and co-founder of a termite colony. The termite royal family consists of both a queen and her king, and the colony cannot exist without them. As long as the termite king and queen are alive and able to reproduce, the colony will continue to grow. In this article, you’ll learn more about termite kings and their vital role within the colony.
What is a Termite King?
The termite king is the primary male reproductive (father) in a termite colony.
But he didn’t start out as king of the hill. Kings (and queens) begin their journey to the throne as humble swarmers. When a termite colony becomes too big or runs out of food, the queen will produce alates, also known as swarmers. Swarmers have wings and compound eyes, which they use to fly away from the colony of their birth to search for a place to start a new colony.
How to Identify a Termite King
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Termite kings are a darker color than other termites in the colony. While other termites are blind, the termite king has weak but functional eyes.
How big is a termite king? Termite kings aren’t as big as the termite queen, but they are bigger than workers and soldiers. When they start out as swarmer termites, they are around 3/8 to 1/2 inch long. Once they lose their wings, they will continue to grow up to 1 inch in length.
What is the Role of a Termite King?
So now that you know what the termite king looks like, you’ll need to know what he does inside the colony.
Establishes a Termite Colony
The termite king and queen are the ones who establish a colony, and they start by finding a place to nest, usually in a moist hollow in wood. After they enclose the space to keep themselves protected, they begin to mate. Since the king termite needs to fertilize the eggs regularly, he remains by the queen’s side.
For a few months, the pair will work together to care for their first clutch of larvae, producing termite soldiers and workers to build and protect the nest as well as bring food. During this period, the termite king and queen are responsible and devoted parents.
Eventually the queen distributes childcare to other termites in the colony so that she and the king can focus entirely on reproduction and the colony can rapidly expand. Not all new termite monarchs will successfully establish a colony, so the initial nesting period is critical. As the queen cannot reproduce alone, the king is crucial not only in establishing, but in maintaining and expanding the colony.
Releases Pheromones
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All termites are capable of becoming swarmers, and eventually kings and queens; however, the active king keeps that from happening by releasing pheromones to prevent other termites from being reproductive.
Pheromones are a cocktail of hormones that termites use to communicate with each other and coordinate their behavior, including foraging and building. Some pheromones spread in the air, while others are transmitted through contact like grooming. The use of pheromones not only keeps the termite king and queen in power, but also stops the colony from dissolving into chaos and infighting.
The termite king isn’t the only one who has the power of pheromones. The queen also is able to use pheromones to keep the colony running properly. When a colony becomes bigger and more established, then secondary and tertiary reproductives are allowed to develop. Secondary reproductives come from nymphs, while tertiary come from workers.
Where Can the Termite King Be Found Within the Colony?
The termite king is deep inside the colony, sealed away in a chamber with the queen. Termite colonies can be found in areas where there are plenty of cellulose materials to act as food sources for the termites. Since termites mainly eat dead wood, this includes places with trees or buildings.
FAQ About Termite Kings
How Long Does a Termite King Live?
A termite king’s lifespan depends on the species of termite, but some live more than 10 years, unlike the queen, who can live past twenty years.
How Many Eggs Do Termites Produce?
The numbers vary from the species and age of the queen, as well as other factors like season, the size and condition of the colony, and the environment, but the termite queen will make millions of eggs in her lifetime.
Termite queens can produce up to 25 eggs a minute, which can result in 30,000 eggs a day. Some species of termites, like drywood and dampwood termites, have a low egg production, while others, like subterranean termites, have a high egg production.
What Happens When a Termite King Dies?
When the king dies, he will stop releasing pheromones, so eventually the workers will develop into reproductives that will replace him. They will not develop wings and go into the swarmer phase, and these types of reproductive alates are known as “secondary” reproductives.
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Main Image Credit: Nathanwhite / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 created using Canva Pro
