All About Termite Queens

What do termite queens look like?

When you picture a termite, you’re probably visualizing a tiny brown pest that, at first glance, resembles an ant. But termite queens in particular look quite different than what you may be expecting. While queens start their life the same size as any other termite, they quickly change as they develop, taking on unique characteristics.

A termite colony will be made up of several castes, or roles. There are the workers, the breeding alates, and then the king and queen. Worker termites make up the majority of a colony, often comprising about 80% of its population. Their collective efforts are crucial for the colony’s functionality, as they perform all the necessary tasks for survival and growth. The alates are the termites that will fly away from the existing termite nest to establish their own colonies. Once they have found a suitable place to live, the alates will shed their wings, and the future queen and a male will burrow into the ground to begin to reproduce. 

At this point, the queen’s skin elongates and becomes translucent, allowing a view into her egg chamber. She quickly goes from roughly the size of a dime to the size of a human finger, and no longer resembles the shape of her subjects. Some species of termite queens can reach lengths of up to four inches. Not only is a queen longer than her subjects, but she is also considerably more bloated-appearing than other termite types. Her abdomen will take on a distended look as it fills with eggs. As egg production begins, her body will pulsate to send signals to her mates to continue rapid reproduction.

What is the role of a termite queen?

The primary responsibility of a termite queen is reproduction. She is the only female in the colony that lays eggs. Amazingly, a termite queen can live to up to 30 years old, and in her lifetime, she can produce millions of offspring throughout her impressive lifespan.

The queen also influences the colony’s structure and organization. She produces pheromones that regulate the development of other reproductive termites, ensuring that only she and her termite king reproduce until the colony reaches a certain size. Once established, secondary queens may emerge to help expand the colony further. These secondary termite queens are thought to be genetically identical to the primary queen.

How many eggs can a queen lay?

Termite queens lay an impressive amount of eggs per day depending on the species. Subterranean termite queens are known to lay over a thousand eggs per day, and may even reach numbers of up to 30,000 eggs per day, which can lead to a potential total of over a quarter-billion eggs in her lifetime. Drywood termites aren’t known to lay as many eggs, but they still manage to reproduce extremely quickly. This prolific egg-laying is vital for sustaining a colony’s population, which can grow exponentially. For instance, a colony of about 1,000 workers can expand to 300,000 workers in just five years due to the queen’s reproductive capabilities.

Do termite queens eat wood? 

Yes, termite queens eat wood, but they aren’t responsible for sourcing their own food. In fact, termite queens cannot even move on their own, so activity in the entire colony revolves around ensuring she is well-kept. Worker termites venture outside of the colony and feed on wood, turning the wood into cellulose. This cellulose is brought back to the colony to feed the queen.

What happens when the queen termite dies?

A termite queen lifespan is quite long, with some scientists citing they can live to be up to 30 years old. But, like all living things, these powerful females will pass on eventually. Termite queens produce a pheromone that stops other termites from reproducing, aside from secondary queens. When the main termite queen dies, this pheromone stops and a new queen will develop in the colony. Typically, a secondary queen will rise into this role.