Termites are usually found in a variety of sizes. For instance soft bodied termites live in wood and get their food from there in form of colonies. Colonies are divided in a number of groups and each and every group is responsible for some task.

Termites exist in different colors, it is said that their closest relatives are cockroaches. So far as fact are concerned, at least 50 different kinds in North America alone. The most common are dampwood, drywood, and subterranean. Dampwood termites which are found in forests are, being structural pests not so common.

On the other hand Subterranean termites are the most common type of termites with less than a quarter inch length. Subterranean termites construct big nests in the soil and try to attack wood using mudtubes i.e. shelter tubes. These tubes are formed from the soil, particles of chewed wood from termites.

Drywood termites are quite opposite in their nature as compared to subterranean termites; they do not need any sort of soil medium. Drywood termites always attack wood that is at upper level of soil. Drywood termites fall in between subterranean and dampwood termites, so far size is concerned i.e they are larger than subterranean and smaller than dampwood. Their normal size is half an inch.

Drywood termites spoil only dry wood so needing no contact with soil. They get moisture from the water that is produced by the absorption of cellulose.