Are there insects that eat termites?

It’s said that the only termite predators live underground. Whoever said that obviously has never seen a cat attack a termite swarm. Many birds also consider termites fair game.

Are there insects that eat termites? And do we want to exterminate them as much as we want to exterminate termites?

7 INSECTS THAT EAT TERMITES

If you’ve ever wondered if there’s anything good about flies, there just isn’t. But termites have some value: Their activity is good for the soil. They will feed on plant fungus, which might save the plant’s life. It’s also said termites are good fathers.

We really don’t care. We don’t want them.

These insects that eat termites are happy to see them at mealtime:

1. Ants – Ants can attack and overrun a termite colony. Carpenter ants sometimes get the blame for property damage, when in fact they were ridding the house of termites.
2. Assassin bugs – Some species of these insects will only eat termites. They deviously hide inside termite colony walls. They will even inhabit dead termite bodies to attract live termites.
3. Beetles – Beetles are used as “biological control agents” by farmers to protect crops. Three beetle species are insects that eat termites (and aerate the soil):
   1. Black ground
   2. Violet ground
   3. Woodland
4. Dragonflies – Dragonflies can do some serious damage to termite colonies. They can capture and eat them mid-flight during swarming season. Dragonfly larvae have posterior tracheal gills and can follow water to termite colonies.
5. Humpback flies – Okay, perhaps one fly species has value. Humpback flies lay their eggs in termite nests. This helps eliminate termites, but the flies spread disease from sewage and decay, so you might prefer termites.
6. Praying mantis – When a praying mantis is on the prowl, he disguises himself as vegetation. It’s thought that praying mantises are significant predators of termites but only when the termites are outside the colony.
7. Spiders – Arachnids are insects that eat termites whenever possible. They build webs near colonies and are smart enough to use decaying pieces of wood as “bait.” Spiders sometimes build homes as part of termite mud tubes.

HOSTING INSECTS THAT EAT TERMITES IS NOT PRACTICAL

It would be great if insects that eat termites could live in our yards and serve as natural termite exterminators. This just isn’t possible.

Termite colonies have thousands and sometimes even millions of termites. It would take an almost equal number of insects that eat termites to make a dent. Plus, the insects that eat termites and other termite predators aren’t guests we want in our yards anyway.

Birds eat termites only when the opportunity presents itself, so they aren’t reliable. A few frogs, lizards, a nice snake, even a pet chicken would be fine. But for termite control, you’d need dramatic numbers of these creatures.

BUDGET BROTHERS TERMITE USES NATURAL, ECO-FRIENDLY PEST CONTROL

You can count on Budget Brothers Termite & Pest Elimination to eliminate and prevent termites. And you won’t destroy the environment or put people and pets at risk from chemical toxins. We use environmentally safe products.

We serve communities in and near:

• Anthem
• Avondale
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…and more.

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