21 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

I dug around the base of the tree I found these on, and boom, I see a few termite workers..
So they actually nest in the soil and forage in the tree/bark.

Probably why they died in my setup

[Nare]

So they actually nest in the soil and forage in the tree/bark.

I'm not surprised - Reticulitermes do something similar, at least in my area. I've extracted all of (or most of) my specimens from wood, though they mainly nest in soil. You won't find any reproductives in the wood I don't think, and those are what you'd really want with this species - I believe LC3 expressed doubts about the ability of this species to produce ergatoid workers, so you'd need reproductive nymphs or primaries to keep the colony going in captivity. You'd better get digging - I have a feeling it'll be worth it.