5 replies to this topic

[OhNoNotAgain]

I first got a Termitat in 2020, just as things were shutting down everywhere. Unfortunately I underwatered (didn't know frass = too dry for Zoots), and had to get a "refill" in 2022. I guess my care is somewhat better this time because from 2022 to now in 2024, the Zoots have:

 

* grown a soldier

* grown full-on winged reproductives, the type that ought to fly (who couldn't get out, of course, so they died and got eaten)

* grown stubby-winged reproductives(?) (even my first Termitat got that far)

* laid eggs,

and now

* have young nymphs!

 

I spent way too much time messing up with this video so what the heck, here it is:

 

Edited by OhNoNotAgain, June 11 2024 - 5:31 PM.

[Stubyvast]

Haha termite babies are so cute! I wouldn't have thought that! Are you keeping them in a log-like set-up? From the video you posted it looked something like that. Cool!

[OhNoNotAgain]

Stubyvast, on 12 Jun 2024 - 01:56 AM, said:

Haha termite babies are so cute! I wouldn't have thought that! Are you keeping them in a log-like set-up? From the video you posted it looked something like that. Cool!

It's a slice of pine, I believe. Termitats are actually commercial products. They come with an encased wood slice and a starter group of worker nymphs and 1-2 soldiers, plus a syringe for watering and a guidebook. https://termitat.com/

I did underwater the first colony (I think that was the problem) and had to get it refilled (costs money to refill) in 2022. The only problem with this second group is they had more moisture, so they had much more access to the cement-like gooey poo they use to cover up anything that's letting in too much light - in other words, they've covered the front viewing window with goo (because I don't keep them in a dark enough place).

Edited by OhNoNotAgain, June 11 2024 - 6:40 PM.

[Voidley]

Wow, that’s like the Termitat dream! Congrats and I can’t wait to follow their growth. If I understand correctly, you are saying that it took them 2 years to start reproducing? That does give me some hope for my own colony, I guess I just need to be patient with them. I’m honestly surprised that an individual worker can even live that long — I’m too used to ant life cycles lol.

[OhNoNotAgain]

Voidley, on 12 Jun 2024 - 12:46 PM, said:

Wow, that’s like the Termitat dream! Congrats and I can’t wait to follow their growth. If I understand correctly, you are saying that it took them 2 years to start reproducing? That does give me some hope for my own colony, I guess I just need to be patient with them. I’m honestly surprised that an individual worker can even live that long — I’m too used to ant life cycles lol.

Yeah, termites can live what, 2-5 years or something or other? It's totally different compared to ant workers. Just needing a king and queen is so different. OTOH these Zoots seem much more passive and less organized in some ways (maybe it's because they are herbivores and can just sit around eating their own house) - but I don't observe them very often and I'm no expert. I know termites vary widely in their lifestyles.

 

Here's the timeline as I posted on my YouTube channel. Note that I basically had to come back to my Formiculture journal to look up the dates haha. (That's what journals are for....)

"Not totally sure on timeliine, but I got this particular Termitat in August of 2022, and in June 2023 I found both winged alates and the stubby-winged pre-alates - less than a year. I have not seen winged alates since then - I assume they died and got eaten because they couldn't actually fly anywhere - so I'm guessing maybe the pre-alates became secondary reproductives. However, I'm pretty unclear on the specifics of Zoot molting (I mean some termites can even molt "backwards" right? confusing). As for eggs, I found them May 2024, so it's been nearly two years. P.S. I don't check the termites very often so it's totally possible the timeline is much more compressed and I just wasn't looking."

[OhNoNotAgain]

I posted this in the journal, but I peeked on the babies again.