What are termites?

Termites are soft-bodied insects belonging to the family Isoptera. They are sometimes called "white ants" but they are like ants only in that both species live in social colonies. Thay live in the tropics and temperate
countries and make various kinds of nests. Some make galleries in decaying tree trunks, some make nests below the ground, but the most spectacular are large structures built above ground called "termitaria". They are built from earth excavated below ground  and cemented together by saliva. Some of these nests are 20 feet high and almost too hard to break open even with a pickaxe.(questions and answers)