Termites in MDF

[KalenGyi]

Can termites form in MDF board on their own or do they have to have a colony underground?

[TommyC]

Not sure what you mean by this. The French scientist Louis Pasteur proved conclusively to his peers more than 100 years ago that no form of life can spontaneously "appear" out of nowhere, including insects, therefore any infestation of anything is necessarily just the product of a particualar species of pest finding a place they like and can survive and breed comfortably. Termites in particular, which are very hardy and determined creatures anyway, will eventually find and eat just about any form of wood or wood pulp that's not heavily treated with insecticide, so if you're having a problem, clean out the area thoroughly and then treat with a preservative/pesticide to keep the little buggers at bay..!

[KARL]

Termites operate from established colonies and roam widely but usually within soil tunnels constructed above ground or else in the dark underground or within structures (to their predators they make very sought after food). New colonies are established when particular versions of termites (called alites) take to the wing, almost always during wet weather, pair off and establish a completely new colony, usually by taking over some nook or cranny which can be quite distant from the parent colony and breeding very rapidly in a home which they extend and extend as the colony grows. To this extent people might be forgiven for thinking they come from nowhere. Because they breed so fast they tend to consume significant amounts of vegetable fibre, predominantly wood of some kind.

[Ujjalseo]

It is true that it forms a colony but termites can be formed in any kind of timber including the MDF board. So, it is better to get rid of it as soon as possible.