How much damage can the average termite do to a house?
One termite may not be able to make serious damage to a house, and in that case it would take years for damage to appear. However, if you have a colony of termites, a colony of 60,000 termites can consume a one-foot length of two by four in as little as four months. Termites feed on wood and serve an important function by converting dead trees into organic matter. Termites have microorganisms in their digestive system that help digest cellulose. Although termites are soft-bodied insects, their hard jaws bite off small fragments of wood. Sources: http://www.heimer.com/information/termites.
