Termites are social insects, with colonies that can contain millions of individuals. Most are infertile workers and soldiers, while only a few are “kings” and “queens”. You’ll see these reproductive adults flying to spread out and mate during rainy seasons, then they lose their wings and start producing larvae. Termites feed on dead plant matter, most notoriously dead wood, and as such are important recyclers in the ecosystem. Though often associated with ants in the public eye, they in fact evolved from wood-eating cockroaches.
Wild Columbia County 