3 replies to this topic

[Vendayn]

A ton of alates are flying today, so I put about 20 and put them all together in a test tube/foraging area setup. I put a bunch of tightly packed tissue paper in the test tube, since that setup seems to work well.

As for the alates. I put a bunch together before and had great success (ended up with so many workers in just a year! ), until Argentine ants killed them. I think I talked about that colony a while back in chat, I estimated at the time somewhere between 60-80 workers.

 

I'm pretty sure this species is Reticulitermes hesperus. They are the most common termite in general, in coastal orange county. With that said, Amitermes is by far the most common termite around here locally (find them everywhere). Though I see pockets of R. hesperus too. But I don't think Amitermes have coal black alates, like Reticulitermes do. And, as far as I know, Amitermes have more brown colored alates than coal black ones.

 

I'll probably get more alates tomorrow, depending on the weather. I kind of want to see how they do first. No pictures today though, but I'm getting a better phone/camera so I should be able to take better pictures than usual.

Edited by Vendayn, November 24 2018 - 11:35 PM.

[LC3]

Amitermes have dark opaque wings, I think their alates are anywhere between a goldish brown to grey to black or a mix of these colours (depending on the species). Reticulitermes have white veined wings.

 

Yeah there have been huge Reticulitermes flights around November 22, with the bulk being concentrated on November 22, spanning from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

[Vendayn]

Then confirms (besides the mating flights) what I figured, that got Reticulitermes. And by default it is R. hesperus, which is the only other subterranean termite locally, that isn't Amitermes.

 

Thanks for the info

[Vendayn]

I never updated this, but the alates died. Test tube with toilet paper wasn't a very good substitute. Actually what been better for me is a test tube, but with soil and wood. Would have worked a lot better.

 

On other hand, it works great for an already living colony of termites that are in a plastic aquarium. I got a colony of Reticulitermes hesperus less than two months ago, and they already got baby nymphs. That is fast! That means some of the secondary reproductives already laid eggs and are producing new termites already. Sadly, I forgot to mark the day I found them but it was sometime January. Almost two months, but positive I got them mid to late January. Wish I put down the date.

 

In any case, very healthy colony and nymphs already is a great sign

 

Also they like the test tube with toilet paper a lot and even use the toilet paper to dig in. I'm thinking of adding random tubes with stuff in them that they can dig in, since they seem to like that.