Termites belong to the insect order of Isoptera. The Latin name Isoptera means "equal wing" and refers to the fact that the front set of wings on a reproductive termite is similar in size and shape to the hind set.

Termites are highly beneficial insects. Their greatest contribution is the role they play in recycling wood and plant material. Termites are doing so by digesting the cellulose in the wood, which gives wood its strength.

Only termites, some beetles, and few species of fungi are capable of digesting cellulose. Without these organisms, forests would be filled with logs of dead trees lying on the ground. Termites and other wood destroying organisms help break down wood and return the nutrients back to the soil.

Termites become a problem when they start attacking and eating structural lumber. In the United States several thousands of buildings every year require treatment for the control of termites. Termites are also capable of damaging other wooden structures (utility poles, bridges, decks, fences, etc.), and may also attack stored food, books, and household furniture.

Termites are social insects and form nests or colonies, consisting of very different looking individuals (castes). Physically the largest individual is the queen. Her function is to lay eggs, sometimes thousands in a single day. A king is always by her side. Other individuals have large heads with powerful jaws, or a bulb-like head that squirts liquid. These individuals are called soldiers. But the largest group of termites in a colony are the workers. They work is to take care of the queen, build and repair the nest, and to gather food. Termites are unique among social insects in that workers can be male or female. Usually termites live long: queens and kings can live for decades while individual workers can survive for several years.

There are more than 2,500 different types of termites in the world. However, most of this diversity can be downsized into four distinct groups: Dampwood Termites, Drywood Termites, Subterranean Termites, and Mound Builder Termites.

Dampwood termites are very limited in their distribution: most species are found only in California and the Pacific Northwest. Dampwood Termites derive their name from the fact that they live and feed in very moist wood, especially in stumps and fallen trees on the forest floor.

Drywood termites are common on most continents and can survive in very dry conditions, even in dead wood in deserts. They do not require contact with moisture or soil.

Subterranean termites are very numerous in many parts of the world and live and breed in soil, sometimes many feet deep.

Formosan termites are very aggressive species of subterranean termites.

Mound Builders do not occur in North America, like the other three species. They build tall earthen towers up to 25 feet and more in height. Mounds may be located either in the soil or in trees, and where they occur in Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, and parts of South America, they are very noticeable and remarkable.