Storing Termites

[Jayburd]

that's ok, it's what we're all here for

[VR1Ton]

Termites can be stored in the fridge for 7-8 days before they start to die, they go into a hibernation like state, & will become active once they warm up again. They can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months, after this they become dehydrated & start to get freezer burn. Frozen termites will not come back to life as the fluid freezing inside them crystalises & breakes the cell walls. Finches can be trained to take frozen termites by slowly weaning on to them with live termites mixed with frozen about 3:1 live:frozen, then slowly increasing the frozen portion over about 2 weeks. Nutritionally, frozen termites are not much different to live.

[Jayburd]

I heard you can just offer them straight up frozen?

[VR1Ton]

You could offer them, but weather they eat them or not is a different matter.

[Jayburd]

I'm just saying what I was told by a friend of mine (also a forumer) who uses both live and frozen.

[mickw]

Termites are easy bro.....dont get caught up with the hype about how dangerous they are......only about 90 or so of the 300 odd species in Australia will cause harm to timber in use.

Some good websites are CSIRO and Australian Museum.....all the commercial pest company sites tell you how bad ALL termites are

As for keeping them, I keep mine for months in a plastic drum with a screw top lid....its even got a seal.........in the old days we used 44 gallon drums with grease around the rim......and thats really to keep black ants out rather than the termites in ;)

I dont even use the piece of wood trick as most are grass eaters anyway....the ones I get are. All I do is break off a chunk about as big as my fist each morning and crush it in my hand.....I have 3 flights with from 2-9 birds in each (20 in all plus young).....I split it up proportionally.....how much I give depends a bit on species and where they're at in their nesting cycle, eg, my Choc Parsons are all over me at the mo every morning when I give them a new lot........there's two nests full of loud squeaks ........6 weeks ago they were hardly interested ......My Stars hardly touch the live food, they have a nest full of young pretty much entirely fed with sprouted seed, cucumber and greens.....lucky, because I had the net ready and they were off to the pet shop as they'd been chasing the WE Masks around too much .......

Even my Purple Crowned Lorikeets have a lick at the termites.......they had one very cute hatchling yesterday

Its too easy here.....I'm a Forester, in the bush all the time........being the enviro guy for mines in the Kimberley, you'd enjoy similar perks I'd reckon

Termites.....Get them into ya

[mike12345]

I was out in the bush across the road from me yesterday collecting the last of the dry season nesting grasses and harvesting some fresh seedheads and I notices a few mounds! The temptation is getting to me and I think Id like to try storing termites to give to my waxbills. What is the best way to harvest and store so I dont risk getting them around my house. Pictures and advice would be great! I have a day off today so I can do some DIY stuff

Hello Kimberley,
Search for termite nests beneath rotting logs and under the bark of dead trees. Your trap should be located about a foot away from the nest, buried so that the top of the box is flush with the ground's surface. Cover the lid with a thin layer of earth and secure with a rock than you can easily collect termites.

[finchbreeder]

Bit late, if you read the dates on posts you will see that was 6yrs ago. But good advice for anyone else in the area.
LML

[jack147]

Termites can be stored in the fridge for 7-8 days before they start to die, they go into a hibernation like state, & will become active once they warm up again. They can be stored in the freezer for 2-3 months, after this they become dehydrated & start to get freezer burn. Frozen termites will not come back to life as the fluid freezing inside them crystalises & breakes the cell walls. Finches can be trained to take frozen termites by slowly weaning on to them with live mixed with frozen about 3:1 live:frozen, then slowly increasing the frozen portion over about 2 weeks. Nutritionally, frozen termites are not much different to live.

Hello,
Thanks for this information.....

[john65]

There was a thread here somewhere where someone (wish I could remeber who) explained that. Think it involved a plastic drum and grease of some sort round the inside top so they couldn't crawl up and out. No lid from memory.
LML

Hello finchbreeder ,

Thanks for the post.
How long is spot treatment of termites effective for getting rid of termites?