Subterranean Termite Alate

Natural Habitat

Found in moist soil, damp wood, and within the structural timber of buildings. They live in underground colonies and emerge through mud tubes or cracks.

Diet & Feeding

Cellulose-based materials, primarily decaying wood, paper, cardboard, and cotton. They possess specialized gut protozoa to digest wood.

Behavior Patterns

Alates are the winged reproductive stage. They swarm in large numbers, usually in the spring or after rain, to find mates and establish new colonies. Once a pair is formed, they shed their wings and burrow into the ground.

Risks & Benefits

They pose a significant economic risk as a major structural pest, causing billions of dollars in damage to property annually. In nature, they are beneficial as decomposers, recycling dead wood into the soil.

Identified on: 2/16/2026