Termites are a group of asocial insects. While termites are commonly known, as “white ants,” they are only distantly related to the ants. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material,, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10 percent of the estimated 4,000 species are economically significant as pests that can cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests. Termites are major detritivores, as asocial insects, termites live in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. Subterranean termites are ground-inhabiting, social insects that live in colonies. A colony of subterranean termites may be up to 18-20 feet below the soil surface to protect it from extreme weather conditions. The mature termite colony has three castes: reproductive (king and queen), soldiers, and workers.