Termitesss :)

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

So... weird question BUT
I've been wanting to keep termites for quite a while, and today I stumbled across what seems like a small colony in a really small plank of wood: 7x7 I thin It's in my backyard. When I lifted it up, there were some termites on the ground, and a hole on the wood, from which I could see a few termites inside. Here are my questions:
1- Is the nest most likely in the ground or in the wood?
2- is it possible that the colony will move into my house at some point in time?
3- Would it be okay to take the piece of wood and use it in a setup for the termites?
Cheers,
SpiderQueen

 

[Bob Lee]

Send a picture of the termites, and what's the size of them, I can probably help you ID it

1. The placement of the nest depends on the species

2. Depends on the species, probably not

3. Yes, no one would mind you taking a colony of termites home

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

Send a picture of the termites, and what's the size of them, I can probably help you ID it

1. The placement of the nest depends on the species

2. Depends on the species, probably not

3. Yes, no one would mind you taking a colony of termites home

Update

Today I went out to see if I could snap some pics of them, but when I lifted the wood, the place was overrun with ants! I moved the wood plank, took all ants off it, filled a pot with soil and placed the wood inside. @Bob Lee Is it likely that all the termites were killed? it was probably a small colony

 

[myrmecophile]

Ants love termites, but at worst they probably only got the ones in the immediate vicinity. The main colony was almost certainly in the soil, likely a fair distance away.

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

Actually, the colony was in the wood! I had moved the wood away, and now when I checked, there were termites crawling back into holes in the wood. I caught one and took some pics. I'll post them soon! I'm so happy the ants didn't kill them

 

[myrmecophile]

Subterranean termites which these almost certainly were, are soil nesters, only feeding in wood

 

[The Snark]

1. Always in the ground. They temporarily colonize food sources but take note, all exposed termite pathways are saliva cemented dirt.
2. See #1
3. See #2

If you want to start a termite colony swing over our way with a backhoe. Our colony conglomerate collective covers about 2 1/2 acres.

Trivia: termites are photophobic -> extremely light sensitive. This is hypothesized as an evolutionary survival mechanism.

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

Thanks for your responses I did dig up underneath the wood and found nothing, and also found no termite tunnels. I think these could be damp/drywood termites, both of which nest in wood, not the soil. I measured a worker and it was 5 mm.

 

[myrmecophile]

If they were in wood on the soil, they were subs, or a very slight possibility (depending on where in California) of dampwoods. Drywoods, never are found in contact with the soil.

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

I found a list of dampwoods in CA (where I am) and got Nevada dampwoods and Pacific dampwoods (I hope they are Zoots, but....) Also, the "worker" I found could have been a nymph, as it was really small, and very white. I've heard that worker are tanish-white

 

[Bob Lee]

1. Always in the ground. They temporarily colonize food sources but take note, all exposed termite pathways are saliva cemented dirt.
2. See #1
3. See #2

If you want to start a termite colony swing over our way with a backhoe. Our colony conglomerate collective covers about 2 1/2 acres.

Trivia: termites are photophobic -> extremely light sensitive. This is hypothesized as an evolutionary survival mechanism.

Certain species do not nest in the ground, for example Zoots live within the wood they are eating

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

@Bob Lee Any ID for 5 mm worker/larvae? lol

 

[schmiggle]

@XxSpiderQueenxX could you post some pictures?

5mm seems too big for subterranean termites, I will readily agree.

 

[The Snark]

Certain species do not nest in the ground, for example Zoots live within the wood they are eating

Forgot about Cryptotermes! We always mixed them up with lyctinae. But I got an excuse; both were confused with Blattodea for a while by the brainiacs.

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

@XxSpiderQueenxX could you post some pictures?

5mm seems too big for subterranean termites, I will readily agree.

I could post some pictures I took of the worker, do you also want picture of the nest they are in (the wood)

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

Here are all the pics I took of the worker he/she was 5 mm, I'll take pictures of the wood they're in and hopefully some soldiers later. Sorry they aren't that clear Ill try to get clear ones later

 

[schmiggle]

View attachment 339121 View attachment 339121 View attachment 339122 View attachment 339124 View attachment 339125 Here are all the pics I took of the worker he/she was 5 mm, I'll take pictures of the wood they're in and hopefully some soldiers later. Sorry they aren't that clear Ill try to get clear ones later

Thanks. I think soldiers will be most helpful, at least for me.

 

[XxSpiderQueenxX]

So I have looked a lot, but have found no termite soldiers. I also found more darned Argentine ants tormenting a worker, who I saved lol. I moved the nest again. I also set a termite trap- soggy cardboard rubber-banded together with ripped up cardboard and soft, moist wood that I could break apart easily with my hands sandwiched in between. I'll check on the trap in 1-2 months I also spotted a worker that was larger, about 6-7 mm. Could there be a ID with that measurement? lol

 

[schmiggle]

I think it's Zootermopsis, with the size and being on the ground, but I'm not gonna say a hard ID on this one because I'm not an expert

 

[Ponerinecat]

I'm no termite expert, but that looks more like Reticulitermes to me. They live in the soil, You likely saw a simple foraging intrusion into wood.