10 replies to this topic

[kellakk]

5-28-15

 

I caught about a dozen alates of Zootermopsis angusticollis in the evening on Mt. Baldy.  I stuck 2 in a normal test tube setup except with cardboard wedged in and touching the cotton.  The rest I put in 1 part of a small compartmentalized box filled with damp cardboard.  

[kellakk]

7-7-15

 

I've been misting the cardboard every once in a while to keep it damp, but had very little hope since I rarely ever saw the dealates and never saw an egg.  However, as I was misting it today I pulled out some of the cardboard to find a few eggs! And not only were there eggs, I found a couple tiny white nymphs waddling around! 

I dug a little further to find a pair of dealates and some more brood at the bottom.  I'll leave them alone from now on, hopefully this colony does well! 

 

Also, call it dumb luck but I somehow ended up with a male and a female in the test tube.  The female is swelling up like crazy, but I've only seen a few eggs, never a nymph.  I hope that pair turn out well also, these termites are very cool-looking.

Edited by kellakk, July 7 2015 - 10:36 PM.

[LC3]

Yay Congrats!

Edited by LC3, January 15 2018 - 4:03 PM.

[William. T]

I don't know about you, but did you soak the cardboard for a few hours? It seems that there is a glue on ridged cardboard that kills termites.

[kellakk]

I haven't had trouble, but the cardboard that I've been using has been sitting out for years. 

[dspdrew]

Wow I didn't know you actually got nymphs. I never get anything but dead termite alates. Pictures?

[kellakk]

Yeah, I was really surprised when I saw it.  I counted a total of 3 nymphs when I opened it up just now for pictures, and got a terrible photo of a very weak termite nymph.  I think it had just hatched recently, because it was smaller and less active than the other two.

 

[Gregory2455]

Nice. I was up at Wrightwood when they were flying and i just stuck a piece of termite ridden wood into a container and put them in. I had a few pairs but they are either really far in there or all died. Real nice job on getting a nymph.

[kellakk]

So it turns out I have 2 good colonies now, one in a box with cardboard and the other in a test tube.  I went to look at the termites in the test tube and found 5 fresh eggs and a nymph staring back at me!  I attached a test tube with more cardboard as they were running out.

[dspdrew]

[LC3]

Aren't termites blind?