Everyone’s heard of the “Queen Bee” and you’d be hard-pressed not to know a little something about the future Queen of England! But how much do you know about the queen of a termite colony and her impact on the hive?
Termites are a particularly social insect, organizing themselves in groups of thousands depending on the species. The queen runs the show and is responsible for many of the most crucial functions of a termite colony…here are 7 things you probably didn’t already know about termite queens!
1. Over her lifetime, a termite queen can produce upwards of 165,000,000 eggs. That’s a lot of termites.
2. It’s impossible to completely erradicate a termite colony until the queen is killed.
3. Some species have queens that can actually reproduce asexually. This ensures the secondary queens will have the primary queen’s genes, carrying out her legacy. Long live the queen!
4. Queens get a reprieve and stay alive after mating. Their male counterparts usually die soon after mating, much like ants.
5. The primary queen (and kind) of a termite colony have wings and can fly. The secondary reproductive members don’t have wings.
6. When a queen founds a new colony, she’s tasked with laying thousands of eggs and taking care of her offspring, at least for the first few months. Once her minions become old enough to help, however, she puts the
7. A well cared-for termite queen can live for up to 50 years in ideal conditions.
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