Termite Control Devices Fundamentals Explained

A termite nest can be considered as being composed of two parts, the inanimate and the animate. The animate is all the termites living inside the colony, and the inanimate part is the construction itself, which is constructed by the termites. Nests can be broadly divided into three main classes: subterranean (completely below ground), epigeal (protruding above the soil surface), and arboreal (constructed above ground, but constantly connected to the ground via shelter tubes).184 Epigeal nests (mounds) protrude from the ground with ground contact and are created out of ground and mud.

Most termites construct underground colonies rather than multifunctional nests and mounds.186 Primitive termites of now nest in wooden structures such as logs, stumps and the dead parts of trees, as did termites millions of years back.184.

To construct their nests, termites mostly use faeces, which have many desirable properties as a construction material. Other building materials include partly digested plant material, used in carton nests (arboreal nests built from faecal elements and timber ), and dirt, utilized in subterranean nest and mound construction. Not all nests are visible, as many nests in tropical woods are located underground.186 Species in the subfamily Apicotermitinae are great examples of subterranean nest contractors, as they only dwell inside tunnels.

Nests and mounds shield the termites' tender bodies against desiccation, mild, pathogens and parasites, in addition to providing a fortification against predators.188 Nests made out of carton are particularly weak, and so the inhabitants use counter-attack approaches against invading predators. .

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Arboreal carton nests of mangrove swamp-dwelling Nasutitermes are enriched in lignin and depleted in cellulose and xylans. This change results from bacterial illness in the gut of the termites: they utilize their faeces as a carton building substance. Arboreal termites nests can account for as much as 2% of above ground carbon storage in Puerto Rican mangrove swamps.

Some species build complex nests known as polycalic nests; this habitat is known as polycalism. Polycalic species of termites form numerous nests, or calies, connected with subterranean chambers.107 The termite genera Apicotermes and Trinervitermes are known to have polycalic species.191 Polycalic nests appear to be less frequent in mound-building species but polycalic arboreal nests have been found in a few species of Nasutitermes.191.

Nests are considered mounds should they protrude from the earth's surface. A mound provides termites the same protection for a nest but is stronger.189 Mounds found in regions having torrential and continuous rainfall are in danger of mound erosion as a result of their clay-rich construction. Those made from carton can offer protection against the rain, and in fact can withstand large precipitation.

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For example, Cubitermes colonies build narrow tunnels used as strong points, since the diameter of the tunnels is small enough for soldiers to obstruct.192 A highly secure chamber, known as the"queens cell", houses the queen use this link and king and can be employed as a last line of defence. .

Species in the genus Macrotermes arguably build the most complex structures in the insect world, constructing enormous mounds. These mounds are among the biggest in the world, reaching a height of 8 to 9 metres (26 to 29 ft ), and consist of chimneys, pinnacles and ridges.56 Another termite species, Amitermes meridionalis, can build nests 3 to 4 metres (9 to 13 feet) high and 2.5 metres (8 ft ) wide.

The sculptured mounds sometimes have fancy and distinctive types, such as those of the compass termite (Amitermes meridionalis and A. laurensis), which builds tall, wedge-shaped mounds using the long axis oriented about northsouth, which gives them their common name.194195 This orientation has been experimentally shown to help thermoregulation. The north-south orientation causes the internal temperature of a mound to increase rapidly during the morning while avoiding overheating from the midday sun.

Termites construct shelter tubes, also known as earthen tubes or mud tubes, that begin from the ground. These shield tubes can be found on walls and other structures.197 Constructed by termites during the night, a period of high humidity, so these tubes provide protection to termites from potential predators, especially ants.198 Shelter tubes also provide high humidity and darkness and allow workers to collect food sources that cannot be accessed in any other way.197 These passageways are made from soil and faeces and are normally brown in colour.

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They range from less than 1 cm to several cm in diameter, but might extend dozens of yards in length.198.

Owing to their wood-eating customs, many termite species can do significant damage to unprotected buildings and other wooden constructions.199 Termites play an important function as decomposers of wood and vegetative material, and the conflict with humans occurs where structures and landscapes containing structural timber components, cellulose derived structural materials and ornamental vegetation provide termites with a reliable supply of food and moisture.200;Their habit of remaining concealed often results in their presence being undetected until the timbers are seriously damaged, leaving a thin layer of a wall which protects them in the environment.201 Of the 3,106 species known, only 183 species cause damage; 83 species cause significant damage to wooden structures.199 In North America, 18 subterranean species are pests202; in Australia, 16 species possess an economic impact; in the Indian subcontinent 26 species are considered pests, and in tropical Africa, 24.