In many ways, they are among nature’s most fascinating and socially complex creatures. Here are some facts you probably would have never imagined about termites:
If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Eat ‘Em
In Singapore, two-inch long termite queens are considered a yummy food treat. They are served live, dipped in alcohol, or preserved in rice wine. “Would you care for a glass of snail slime with your termite, sir?”
Pound-For-Pound Champion
It is estimated that for every human on Earth there may be 1,000 pounds of termites. That’s about the same weight as a full-grown cow!
Making a Mountain Out of a Termite Hill
Termites make hard mounds above ground in many parts of the world. In Africa, one mound was actually measured to be 42 feet high. That’s about as tall as a two-story house!
Leaning Tower of Termites
In some parts of the United States, termites build freestanding mud tubes in order to get to wood. One documented tube in a home was 12 feet long from floor to ceiling. It actually swayed with the light breeze from the home’s air conditioning.
Beware the Grim Termite
In one culture in the Amazon, people believe that a termite colony found in a home means the home’s owner will soon die. The only way to escape death is to eliminate the termite colony or abandon the home.
Big Momma’s Family
The queen of a species of African termite may eventually grow to five inches long, and lay up to 30,000 eggs a day. Chickens usually lay between 180-320 eggs each year!
Never to Bed, Never to Rise
Termites work 24 hours per day and never sleep. And you thought your work day was long!
Respect Your Elders
While the earliest human beings have been around for about four and a half million years, and dinosaurs existed no more than 230 million years ago, termites are believed to have appeared on Earth more than 250 million years ago.
One Hungry Bug
A typical colony of a particularly aggressive termite species calledFormosans could search an area about the size of a football field and damage the wood.
There Goes the Neighborhood
A typical home with termites may have three to four termite colonies around it, with as many as one million termites in each colony. That’s more than the number of people in most cities.
Children of the Night
Like bats and opossums, termites tend to stay away from light.
Now Available in 49 States!
Subterranean (underground) termites are found in every state except Alaska.
A Looong Way to Go for Carryout
Worker termites search for food up to 250 feet from their colony. That would be like you walking around four and a half miles to pick up lunch.
When in Drought, Try Termites
When there is not enough food from their crops and gardens, Macu Indians use termites for food.
Hungry, Hungry Termites
One colony of Formosan termites can eat 1,000 pounds of wood each year. That’s like eating around 650 little league baseball bats.
Egg-laying Machine
Termite queens are believed to live 15-25 years and can lay an egg every 15 seconds. That’s almost half as often as you blink!
A Very Varied Bug
There are over 40 species of termites in the United States, and over 2,700 species throughout the world.
Slipping Through the Cracks
Some termites can get into your house through cracks about as thick as a penny.
“Social Cockroaches”?
Although they look kind of like ants, termites are more closely related to roaches. Because of their complex jobs and roles they are sometimes called “social cockroaches.”
Micro Methane Machines
Scientists say termites may release over 150 million tons of air-pollution-causing methane gas into the atmosphere every year.
Indi-GES-tion? Try Protozoa.
Ironically, for a creature that lives to eat, termites can’t digest their own food. Microscopic bacteria and protozoa in their guts do that job for them.
A Seven-Truck Family
Some African and Australian termite colonies may contain enough termites to fill seven large pickup trucks.
Who Needs Flu Shots?
Some cultures in the Amazon believe inhaling the smoke from a burning termite nest can cure the flu.
Nothing to Sneeze At
In the Amazon, some cultures rely on a hot, sugar-sweetened soup of boiled termites to get rid of whooping cough.