Termites are social insects that live in large colonies and eat wood. Given the fact that they eat wood, it would not be a stretch to assume that they have a very powerful bite. However, their bites are extremely rare, and even when they happen, they are not dangerous to humans. Let’s take a deeper look at how a termite bite could happen.
Why termites almost never bite
Termite bites are very rare because humans and termites do not really come into contact with each other. Termite workers and soldiers will never leave the colony and travel out in the open, because they would die in a few seconds of being exposed to the air. However, termite swarmers do fly about, and they can even originate from or enter the home. The swarmers are the reproductive caste of a colony, and they set out, male and female, to mate and start new nests. However, they do not bite either.
What happens if you do get bitten?
In case a bite does occur, the effects are very mild. Termites, despite their ability to chew wood, have very small jaws which do not pierce the skin. So at most, a bite will leave a couple of small red bumps, and it will feel like a slight pinch. However, if the symptoms worsen over the next few hours, it’s likely that you were bitten by a different insect and you should seek medical attention just in case the bite dangerous.
The real threat posed by termites
Despite the fact that termites do not spread diseases and are not dangerous to humans, they are one of the worst pests that you can have in your home. Termites will infest the wood inside the building, and chew away at it quietly for months or even years on end. This leads to extensive damage that can cost thousands of dollars to repair, if the infestation is not detected and removed in time.
To make matters worse, DIY control methods are not really accessible, and infestations are very hard to detect. This is why it’s important to have regular termite inspections if you live in an area with heavy termite populations. If you suspect that you have an infestation, or if you would like to know more about the inspection and control processes as they relate to termites, contact us today and we will gladly help you out.
