There are varieties of termites and have different characteristics:

The Coptotermes Acinaciformis

• Most often encountered pest termite throughout Australia
• One of the most destructive, causing the most economic damage
• Colonies are found in trees, tree stumps and wood in the ground
• Mature Colonies can contain over a million termites

Schedorhinotermes Intermedius

• A common termite found throughout Australia
• A destructive species responsible for 5-10% of the damage to timber in service
• Nests in trees, compost heaps and wood in the ground, and particularly in untreated landscape materials
• Attacks timber in house and buildings

Microcerotermes Spp

• Found all over Australia, except the south eastern corner
• A destructive species responsible for 5-10% of the damage to timber in service
• Located in urban areas and usually infests fences, building exteriors, posts and poles
• May form subterranean nests or mounds

Ringant or Neotermer Insularis

• A damp wood termite found along the eastern coastal regions from Darwin through to South Australia
• A destructive species responsible for 5-10% of the damage to timber in service
• Colonies are formed in softer growth rings of the attacked tree
• Colonies can contain up to thousands of termites

Mastotermes Darwiniensis

• Known as the Giant Termite
• Very destructive to timber content of buildings
• Found in the north of the Tropic of Capricorn
• Colonies can contain up to thousands of termites

Nasutitermes Exitiosis

• Builds dome-shaped mounds about 50cm in height
• Not obvious in inland areas of Australia
• Attacks timber in houses from its subterranean nests
• Prefer hardwoods to softwoods

Heterotermes Spp.

• Found throughout most of Australia
• Increasingly attacking urban locations
• Although their colony size is small, they often occur with other termites, particularly mound builders

Porotermes Adamsoni

• Dampwood termite
• Requires decaying timber and a moist environment to commence colonisation
• They can work from decaying timber into adjacent sound timber
• Depending on moisture in trees, they can be found nesting in the decaying centre producing an earthen material called 'mudgut'.