Termites don't actually eat wood, their Queen lays nearly 30,000 eggs a day and more termite knowledge

Termite problems are a tricky thing, because apart from simply changing their locations — the reason you need to treat your whole house and not just the area of the termite attacks — termite colonies come in large numbers as queen termites are to lay nearly 30,000 eggs a day.

In fact, laying eggs is pretty much the only thing queen termites do. It can lay eggs every three seconds or roughly 30,000 egg in 24 hours.

In an episode of “Born to be Wild,” veterinarian and host Dr. Ferdz Recio said a queen termite, found in the royal chamber located in the middle of a mount, is the most protected member of a colony.

According to Recio, the continuous growth of a colony cannot be stopped when a queen is alive.

Worker termites then get the eggs and care for them. They are also the ones who care for a queen, build the colonies, and get food as such, work termites are what we usually see.

Soldier termites meanwhile are those that protect the whole colony from the front lines. They use their two mandibles to fight against insects, who threaten their home.

Contrary to what we know, termites don’t actually feed on wood directly. They simply use wood to make their own food in a fungus garden found in their tunnels.

“Hindi nila mismo kinakain yung kahoy. Kinukuha nila ito, nilalagay sa lining ng tunnel para maging fungus which eventually, becomes their food,” Recio said.

[They don’t directly eat wood. They get it, put it in their tunnels’ lining so it becomes fungus, which then eventually, becomes their food. They just need the wood in order for them to manufacture their own food.]

Termites love dark and moist areas, so keep your homes dry and well-lit. Should you still find termites, remember to get your whole house treated — not just the area in which termite are found because they'll just transfer location and wreck the same havoc. — Franchesca Viernes/LA, GMA News