Yes those are termites. No they do not eat live roots, only dead wood. Most likely the product you used had a lot of wood in it. They can grow into a colony - actually they already have one somewhere. Yes they can eat your house but they were probably already there eating dead wood before you planted the trees. Have your house checked and protected from termites. If you live in a wooded area it's very possible they were already there.

I don't know why your trees died but it is probably not the termites. Did you water or fertilize with anything? How long were the leaves out when they died off? Possible late frost got them? Has it been dry, wet, ?

Thanks so much for the reply... I live on the prairie. There isn't a natural tree that someone didn't plant for at least a mile. Very dry, very sparse. I've dug in the dirt quite a bit, and only seen these termites where I used the purchased compost. Leaves were out on the trees for a few weeks, and yes a late (mid - may) frost came. I didn't think that would kill the tree though.

Hmm, could be that the termites killed the maples, or possibly even the steer manure mix did as the season warmed and the mix heated up. But, the "good news" (if you consider it so) is that termites can be a great bug aid to rejuvenated soil, BUT you'd have to actually keep digging a lot of holes and filling them with food for the beasties to keep them at a distance from the house...... and that still might not work in the late summer/fall when some of grow wings to fly and leave the current nests you inadvertently built for them.... Might want to find somebody quickly to boric your house for you inside the walls top to bottom of the house, and for a perimeter zone out and around it, too. "Quickly" being the operative word here! Don't forget the attic and roof, too.

Hi, I purchased E.B stone compost maker and found some winged insects/ flies in the box very much alive and flying and digging around. And a few got out in the open. Now that i see this post, wondering and worried if they might be winged termites. Any input if just a few winged ones that got out right outside the house, near the patio could have any impact in long term by building colonies and such and destroying our home. thanks!

now that i saw actual flies(possibly termites) living in the box, it's possible that may be the compost you got did have some termites or worms