Termite question

[Brooksy]

If you wanted a steady supply of them have you ever thought of contacting the fencing contractors in your area? I manly do metal fencing but every 3rd job is to replace an old fallen down hard wood paling fence which is more often than not because of termites.

[desertbirds]

I agree with most of the info provided, There is a lot to learn about termites. This is the type i collect and ive previously posted pics, these are grass eaters and fairly safe, the wood eating type i wont feed to my birds as the soldiers are simply scary. Even the grass eaters bite hard and the bitey end stays attached when trying to remove the offender. Its only a theory but some of the insectivorous finches scoff termites and i think some of the termites can bite youngsters on the way down causing infection ,leading to death. Its probably rare but i think its possible . As for the bull ants and the symbiotic relationship - absolutely true. What the termites get out of it is protection , a quick and brutal response to invasion. If we see loose sand and small gravel around these mounds we move on , its like a "do not disturb" sign. Both species living in the mound,eggs,youngsters,soldiers,alyates ect.
Within a few hundred metres of these mounds there is another 2 types of termites both of which ive found in the same mounds along with specifec termite mound spiders,crickets,scorpions,centipedes and lizards.

I recokon maggots would be easier.

[mattymeischke]

Brooksy, DB hints at why I don't go to the fencing contractors; I have a tree surgeon mate down the road who has offered to collect some, but I know that the ones I collect are benign (ie: will not eat my house).

DB, to your list of mound-specific creatures I would add a weird blue worm I saw only once in a mound of (I reckon) Heterotermes ferox. It had a soft, wet, sky blue body about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide with 2 longitudinal stripes of slightly darker blue, and legs like tentacles rather than segmented arthropod legs. It looked like an onychophoran ('velvet worm') more than anything else, but it wasn't quite like them either.

I revisited this topic because I have a long lived batch of termites, currently 12 days and thriving. I collected during a break in the weather from a rather soggy mound, and subsequent rain reduced the normal drying out. I have backed off in quantity of live food this week, because I am a bit concerned they are getting too much, so this batch has been used more slowly than usual. Serendipitously, they have prospered and the pleasing eucy smell is still there.

termites.JPG

termites2.JPG

I think humidity was probably my issue, but too much courts fungus/mould problems.

Just thought I'd share......

[SamDavis]

Matty, based on the look of the soldiers, I reckon they're Nasutitermes exitiosus. Have a look at this link http://www.aviculturalsocietynsw.org/Termites.htm These are the same ones I try to collect. They last for ages and the mounds tend to be softer - you can often cut the nest with a shovel rather than needing a mattock.

DB, your soldiers do have nasty looking mandibles which I agree may do damage to chicks. However, I've found my finches tend not to eat the soldiers. Not sure of the species but look to be Coptotermes of some type.

[mattymeischke]

Sounds spot on, Sam; a nice soft mound it is.