Termites begin their life cycle as eggs, which are laid by the queen or a secondary reproductive in the colony. The queen will lay a small group of eggs during her first egg laying cycle. This is when a new colony is developed. As the colony progresses, the queen will continue to lay eggs, but her egg laying will not be the primary method of populating the colony.
The supplementary reproductives are the group of termites that aid with the queen's egg laying. These termites are bred to take over a queen's duties if she dies. They also will lay the largest number of eggs in the termite colony. In a colony of one million termites, the queen will only be responsible for laying 10,000 eggs. The supplementary reproductives lay the rest.
Termite eggs are small and can resemble fish eggs, as they are translucent. The eggs can be seen without a microscope, as well. But termite eggs are not the best indicator of an infestation. Winged adults and workers are the most visible to humans and can represent an infestation. Termite eggs are hard to find, since they are in well-protected places, such as nests or inside walls. Look also for signs of mud tubes and chewed-looking wood as infestation markers.
A termite colony can last a surprisingly long time. Queens can live for up to 50 years, and workers can last for one to two years. The prolific egg laying that can be done in these lengths of time is evidence that termite colonies should be managed early in their development. Termite colonies that thrive can do severe damage to homes and structures over a short period of time.