Termites!

Introduction:

Termites are actually pretty intresting insects, don't you think? Most termites eat wood and wood products, destroying trees, wooden structures, and paper. There are about 2,000 species of termites. Central heating also helps termites and other insects, giving them a warm place to be active all year round.

Communication:

Termites are naturally blind they cant see anything at all, most live underground so they dont really need eyes. They use there other senses to get around. They bang there heads against walls to make sound alarms to other termites.

Biology:

Termites have three main parts of there body, head, thorax and abdomen. Termites are blind and they have soft, thin exoskeleton. They have very stong chewing mouthparts. WATCH OUT! They also can live up to 4 years, so be carefull. Some termites even have a pore on there heads that emits a sticky substance. There are many different termites and they all have certain roles in there colony.

Management:

The worker termite oversees nurserys. They also are the ones that build tunnels underground or wherever there home is. They feed and groom some of the other termite caste members. When termites die its the workers that bury the dead caste members. The soldier termites role in the colony is to defend the colony from intruders, they guard areas around open areas. The king termite has a slightly enlarged abdomen from the others and it has wing stubs. There job is to parent of the entire colony and to reproduce. Last but not least the queen. She has the biggest enlarged abdomen. She is moved, fed and groomed by all the worker termites. She can live for about 20 or so years. Her job is to help the king parent the colony and to reproduce.

Feeding:

Termites are very intresting litte insects. Termites and protozoa make a cycle that come together so it creates a symbotic relationship between them. Termite guts are shelter to protozoa and there food is the cellulose, which is the wood that the termites had already eaten. Cellulose is digested and produce and let go acetate. Acetate is produced by the protozoa. The termites use this acetate as thier energy source to carry out thier daily bodily functions.