No, termites do not bite humans however when you destroy their homes, they may swarm out and try to sting you with their long, sharp mandibles as a form of self-defense.
These termite bites are not poisonous to humans but can be painful. If you are allergic to bee stings, you may not have a more serious reaction if you are bitten by a termite.
Termite can be hard to remove from your skin as they tend to clamp their mandibles onto your skin. If you have been bitten by a termite, you can try to remove it with tweezers.
Ensure you hold the head not the body as pulling the body will only detach the head and leave it buried in your skin. If you are struggling to remove the termite, you can try to kill it by crushing its head with your fingernails. Once dead, the termite should release its grip on your skin and you can pull it out easily.
The Type Of Termites That Bite
There are different types of termites and not all of them will bite humans. The most common type of termite is the subterranean termite. These termites live in the soil and build their nests underground.
Subterranean termites are the most destructive type of termite as they can cause extensive damage to your home. If you have subterranean termites in your home, you may find them swarming around inside your house or on the porch.
Swarming termites are actually winged males and females that leave their nests in order to mate and start new colonies. Once they have mated, the female termites will lose their wings and burrow into the ground to start a new nest.
Swarming termites are not able to bite humans, as they lack huge mandibles like the soldier termites.
Soldier Termites
Different termites have different roles in a termite colony and one of these roles is that of a soldier. These termites have large, powerful mandibles that they use to protect their nests from predators.
Soldier termites have a hard, dark brown exoskeleton and they are often mistaken for ants. If you disturb a termite nest, you may find soldier termites swarming out to protect it.
While soldier termites do have the ability to bite humans, they are not aggressive and will only do so if their nest is threatened.
How To Prevent Termites From Biting You
The best way to prevent termites from biting you is to avoid disturbing their nests.
Termite Queen
Termites have a queen which they will protect at all costs. The termite queen is usually buried deep within the nest and if you disturbed her, the whole colony would come swarming out to protect her.
