How do king and queen termites start a new colony?

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Learn how termites use salivary secretions to cement debris to decaying wood nests in their rainforest habitat — termite A termite nest in a tropical rainforest.

A new termite colony is founded through a process of dispersal involving winged adults known as alates. After a mating flight, the pair lands and sheds their wings. The female emits a sex attractant, and the pair moves in tandem to locate a suitable nesting site, such as a crevice or a hole in wood or soil.1

Once a site is chosen, the pair seals the entrance with fecal matter to create a nuptial chamber. Copulation occurs within this protected space, after which the female lays her first small batch of eggs. During these initial stages, the king and queen are responsible for feeding the young and maintaining the nest themselves. As the colony grows, the first nymphs develop into workers and soldiers, eventually taking over these duties. Over time, the queen may undergo physogastry—a significant enlargement of the abdomen—allowing her to become highly prolific, while the king and queen continue to mate intermittently throughout their lives to sustain the colony.1