Termites are insects that live in societies, sometimes relatively simple and consisting of a small number of individuals (Calotermes and Cryptotermes sp.), But at other times complex and counting millions of individuals.

his type of infestation is of extraordinary importance in warm and temperate regions. Termites feed on plant material, the most important being cellulose – one of the main constituents of wood; yet other building materials can be damaged by termites in their effort to find cellulose. There are more than 1800 species of termites, their identification is an arduous task, but in practice their classification is divided into 2 major groups:

• Underground termites: which remain in connection with the terrain and usually require a high degree of humanity.
• Termites of dry wood: Which do not require connection with the land and live only on dry wood; they are mainly found in maritime and low altitude areas.

The most frequent termites among us are: Reticulitermes lucifugus (rossi) – underground termite and Cryptotermes brevis – termite of dry woods.