Termites And Their Five Senses

Subterranean termites use their senses to help them stay on course with their destructive foraging, feeding, and reproducing. Luckily their five senses are a little different then ours:

Sight

Thankfully only the queen and king termites actually have eyes while the soldiers and workers are blind. It is unknown how well they can actually see underground.

Hearing

Termites don’t have ears like we do. However, they can sense vibrations. When termites experience a vibration they exhibit a behavior known as “head-pounding”. It’s a form of communication for the termite colony. It is unknown how far their range for vibrations goes.

Taste

Termites are lacking true taste buds in their mouths, but in their stomachs is a cellulose-degrading organism that helps them to digest wood. Apparently some forms of wood are more palatable to them then others because it appears that they can distinguish between different types of wood. Apparently softer wood, like wood that’s been water damaged, is more preferable to termites. Which is why it’s so important for homeowners to check for water leaks.

Smell

Termites don’t use noses like we do to smell. They have antennae that they use to detect a pheromone scent trail that’s been left behind by another termite to notify others in their colony to a food source. This chemical pheromone trail is a vital part of the termites’ communication system as it ensures that the whole colony is fed. Termites can also detect the specific pheromones given off by the queen, which helps to regulate their caste system.

Touch

Termites do exhibit some forms of “touch” behaviors. They obviously prefer a moist, temperature-stable environment and will build mud tubes to prevent themselves from being exposed to open air. Termites also like to get into cracks and crevices as it’s the path of least resistance. Apparently they like the feeling of being enclosed.