# Where Do Termites Live?

> Where termites live: Soil and wood in tropical and warm-temperate regions, native range cues, and human overlap. Status Least Concern.

- **Species:** Termite (*Isoptera*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Herbivore/detritivore (wood, leaf litter, plant matter)
- **Habitat:** Soil and wood in tropical and warm-temperate regions
- **Lifespan:** Workers months; queens many years
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/termite/where-do-termite-live/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/termite/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

Termites are small social insects of the infraorder Isoptera that live in large colonies and feed on wood, leaf litter, and other plant matter. Ranging from 4 to 15 mm long, they build organised societies of workers, soldiers, and reproductive kings and queens, with colonies numbering from thousands to several million. Worker termites live only months, while a queen can survive for many years. They are vital recyclers of dead plant material in tropical and warm regions.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need a sighting hotline. This page is native range and habitat.

## Life in a caste society

Termites are among the most social of all insects, organised into distinct castes that each do a specific job. Workers, which are blind and pale, gather food, tend the young, and build the nest, while soldiers with enlarged heads and jaws defend the colony against attackers such as ants. At the centre are the reproductives: a king and a long-lived queen who together produce all the colony's offspring. This division of labour lets a colony function almost like a single organism.

## Help protect the Termite

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

[Donate to wildlife protection](https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/donate/)

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/termite/where-do-termite-live/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.