Coptotermes Acinaciformis Termites Sydney

Coptotermes acinaciformis termites are a very tenacious, aggressive, covert and most destructive termite species in Sydney. My name is Gerard Dallow from Micropest Pest Control Sydney. I have been carrying out termite control treatments and termite inspection reports in New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia for over 35 years. Over this time, the most common termites I have treated are Coptotermes Acinaciformis termites. They account for greater than 70% of severe termite damage to Sydney buildings and are the most widely distributed termite species in Australia. The second most damaging termite species are schedorhinotermes-intermedius termites followed by the least most termite damaging species nasutitermes termites.

This Coptotermes acinaciformis species of termite is found widely throughout Australia and is quite common in urban areas with many eucalyptus trees, making the Hills suburbs and upper and lower North Shore of Sydney very popular. Their nests are often built out of sight in the root balls of trees, and they radiate out of the central colony foraging for food in approximately a 100m radius.The nest structure of Coptotermes acinaciformis is made up of soil particles, chewed wood, and cellulose, bound together with saliva and faeces

An important fact to understand about Coptotermes acinaciformis species is that, like most other termites, they require a constant moisture source. They like to nest in the root balls of trees because the tree supplies them with a constant moisture source. When we conduct a termite control treatment on a house for the Coptotermes acinaciformis species of termite, we always test drill any termite conducive trees on the property. On the occasion when we carry out this action we drill through a water vein in the tree and the water will comes out at an amazing high pressure for about five or 10 minutes. The first time it happened to me many, many years ago, I thought I had drilled through a water main. It was amazing how much water a tree can hold.

Sometimes, they nest inside a patio or under a concrete slab. The concrete slab protects them from predators and assists the nest in retaining a constant temperature and moisture. This species is also known to build subsidiary nests away from the main nest. That new nest can be in the wall cavity of a building with a source of moisture, such as behind a leaking shower recess or near faulty guttering or downpipes that are rusted. It's amazing, but I have also seen them nesting in a refrigerator, getting their moisture from a drip tray.

They are also known to attack materials other than wood in their search for materials containing the cellulose that they eat, including electrical wiring and items within the building. Befour clipsal power swiches it was believed one percent of fires were cauced by termites shorting out wiring .These termites are very destructive to any object made of wood. An infestation of this species is one of the most serious and destructive household problems that there is.

The Different Roles in a Coptotermes Acinaciformis Colony: Queen, King, Workers, Soldiers, and Reproductives

In a termite colony, there are distinct castes with specific tasks:

- Queen:Typically, there is one main queen who may have founded the colony. She is usually larger than other members and filled with eggs. Queens can live and reproduce for up to 20 years. Additional queens can take over egg production when the primary queen dies.

- King: The original king fertilizes the queen and helps care for the young during colony formation.

- Workers: These are the most abundant members of the colony. They have white bodies and thin skin, and they are responsible for gathering food, feeding and tending to the young and queen, as well as constructing and maintaining the nest. Workers rarely leave the nest environment.

- Soldiers: The defenders of the colony, soldiers may be larger than workers, but they are usually similar in size with darker heads.

Soldiers of this species are cream-colored and have large brown heads and mandibles.

They are wingless, sterile, and eyeless, with sabre-like mandibles without teeth and pear-shaped heads.

Legs have four-segmented tarsi and abdominal cerci have two segments.

When disturbed, they produce a milky latex material from a fontanelle on their head and create a loud ticking sound by rapidly tapping their heads.

- Reproductives: Both winged and wingless, reproductives are the future kings and queens. They start as wingless nymphs and progress through several stages of shedding their skin until they become fully winged adults. With darker and more durable bodies, along with compound eyes, they can survive outside the colony for short periods. They either leave the nest for colonization or take over as the queen if she dies.

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