Do Termites Bite?

Termites are social insects, living together in colonies with as many as 2 million individual members! Termites are most commonly known for their ability to silently chew through wood, eating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Although they might be small in size, termites can cause big damage to a home by chewing through wooden support beams and any other lumber found in a home. We know termites like chewing on wood, but do termites bite people?

Termites might be a concern for your house, but not for you. Although this insect is capable of using their jaws to bite humans or even pets, they usually do not unless they feel threatened or in danger. So although termites do bite humans, it is very unlikely to happen. However, if you are bitten by a termite, you may feel a small pinch or even nothing at all depending on which part of the body is bitten. There might be a tiny spot from the bite, but it will go away within a day or two. Your parents can apply anti-itching cream if you have any problems! That’s why if you see a termite, be sure to keep a safe distance and tell an adult.

We know that termites rarely bite humans and would prefer to chew on wood or paper products, but why do they like eating wood and paper so much? Wood has an organic compound called “cellulose” (sell-you-los) within it that termites can break down and use for nutrients. Wood is the main source of food for termites. Just like your favorite food could be fruit or a hamburger, or maybe even ice cream, wood is a termite’s favorite thing to eat. However, other materials and items have “cellulose” in them, such as shoes, towels and even books. We tested to see if termites would eat some of these household objects in our “Will They Eat It?” series with our entomologist Dr. Mike Bentley. Check out the results, you might not believe your eyes!