Habitat

The habitat of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes is that almost strictly confined to woody substrate.  These insects thrive in a network of tunnels it chews for themselves in a colony of several hundred up to as many as tens of thousands.  From dead rotting stumps to your own back porch, these creatures burrow and chomp their way through wood with strong powerful jaws.

The ideal habitat of a termite consists of dead rotting wood, preferably in moist conditions.  This is due to the fact that fungi decaying the wood which the termites feed on requires moisture.

Termites are often seen as destructive pests and large sums of money is spent every year to have these creatures exterminated.  However, this is usually due to the fact that people unknowingly provide ideal habitats for them in their yards and homes.  Simple things such as cutting down an unwanted tree and letting the stump rot, using non-treated timber on your home or leaving wood scraps laying around provide these opportunistic insects a  place to live.

A termite can survive harsh conditions and continue to thrive.  All it requires is a little moisture and wood infused cellulose to carve out a living.  However, when termites leave their own colony in an attempt to begin a new one, they need to find these two important essentials or they soon die.  One fortunate thing for the termite is that these are abundant in nature and colonies appear and thrive in many different ecosystems.