They time their colonising flights for hot humid nights when the outside temperature and humidity is pretty close to what they’re used to inside the nest. Smart?

Then they have to avoid the spiders, birds, lizards and garden ants.

All these would-be kings and queens need is a bit of moist cellulose... like wood in damp soil. but, many don’t last beyond the first dry season.

Retiring to a life of sex

(Did that get your attention?)

Once they are secure, the new couple tend their first eggs and hatching nymphs until there are enough workers and soldiers to take over and they can retire to the nursery to make babies they don’t have to look after.

From the nest, termites radiate out looking for many different food sources. they’ve learned not to become dependent on one or two sources that could easily be burned, moved or washed away.

Any food they find becomes food to go! what they find is taken in their tummies back to feed everyone in the nest. It takes 2-5 years for a nest to become a serious threat.

Payback!!

It’s nice of us to replace their trees with houses. It keeps them in the recycling business!!

Termites only need a little gap and they’re in! They can nearly demolish a whole house, through a tiny tunnel such as one through a weep-hole. Talk about keyhole surgery!!

Once they’re in, all the bits of wood inside a house join up so they can get to everywhere.