Martin Gilmer, age 14, of Beaumont, Tex., for his question:

IS THE TERMITE LIKE AN ANT?

Termite is the common name given to a group of insects that live in communities somewhat as ants do. The two insects are alike, however, only in their habits of living together and in their small size.

Termites stand near the bottom of the scale of insect life. Ants are near the top.

Termites are more closely related to cockroaches and grasshoppers than to ants. Their mouth parts, simple feelers, thick waists, primitive wings and other features resemble those of cockroaches. Ants have thin waists, elbowed feelers and highly specialized wings.

There are three classes, called castes, in most termite colonies: some reproduce, others are workers and still others are soldiers. The highest is the royal or reproductive caste. Of all the termites, these most closely resemble other insects. They are fully developed.

The worker caste is made of small, blind, wingless termites with pale or whitish soft bodies. Only the heads and feet of the workers are covered with a hard protective material.

The workers are the most numerous individuals in the colony. They enlarge the nest, search for food and water for the colony and make tunnels.

The soldiers, which are also wingless and blind, have powerful jaws and strong legs. The sole duty of the soldier is to defend the colony against its enemies, principally against attacks from ants. Strangely, except for fighting, they are almost unable to care for themselves. They must be fed and groomed by the workers.

There are about 2,000 different species of termites. About 40 species live in North America. They do much damage by tunneling through fence posts, trees, timbers of wooden buildings, bridges, trestles and other structures.

In houses, termites eat cloth, books and paper. Experts have estimated that termites cause as much property damage each year in the United States as fire does.In the U.S., these insects fall into three groups, according to their habits: subterranean termites, damp wood termites and dry wood termites.

Subterranean termites, the smallest but most destructive, nest underground. They often extend their burrows into wooden structures.

Damp wood termites live only in very moist wood. These cause trouble only on the Pacific Coast. Most termites die if their supply of moisture is cut off.

Dry wood termites need little moisture. They are destructive in the Southwest. Damp wood and dry wood termites have no true worker castes.

For termite control, foundations of bridges and trestles, and support posts of buildings, should be made of stone, brick or concrete. Where timber must be used, it should be treated first with insecticide applied in large tanks under pressure, to make sure it penetrates the wood deeply.