Have you noticed a heap of ‘left-over’ wings on the floor after the storms? These belong to alates, or winged, breeding termites that have been flying in the recent rains, searching for others of their kind to set up home with. They can only fly in humid weather as their delicate bodies dry out quickly in hot, dry daytime winds.

Termites are primitive insects closely related to cockroaches, not ants.  They are among the most successful group of insects on Earth and there are termites living on all continents except Antarctica. They are an important part of our Australian environment and are as great at recycling plants back into the soil as the herds of large grazing mammals that roam the African savannahs. We sometimes see termites as a pest but of the 300 different Australian species of termite, only a few will damage our homes and gardens. Most go about their business in the bush, creating new soil by feeding on grass, wood or rotting organic matter.

Termites live in colonies made up of different types of termites, each with a different job to do. Small pale termites with no wings are worker termites and are the most common. Solider termites protect the nest and are equipped with large jaws or strange looking heads that squirt chemicals at invaders. At the right time of year, there are also winged termites or male and female alates. These are the only termites that can reproduce. When the weather is warm and the air is humid enough so they won’t dry out the alates fly out from their home colony to find mates.

Some termite species build strange, skinny towers called flight towers. These are used by the alates as a launching pad and colonies build them if weather conditions are nearing perfect for termite travel. Flights of alates will normally happen all at the same time. Most will die, becoming food for hungry predators or drying out if they spend too long out in the open. Some, however, are able to find a friend and go on to mate and start new colonies.