Introduction to Insects!

Some Basic Insect Facts:

• A good reason to study insects is to know which ones are harmful and which ones are not.
• Four characteristics that all insects share are: they all have 3 body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen), they have one pair of antennae, they have three pairs of legs, and they have one to two pairs of wings.
• Metamorphosis: A change in physical form.
• Three characteristics used to classify organisms are cell type, number of cells, and mode of nutrition (way of eating.) 

This is an example of the body segments of an insect...

Termite Communication!

Termites don't have sight to see or voices to speak so they have to use different methods of communication than what are usually used.

We did this experiment in science class testing different ways of communication. We were trying to figure out how and when they needed to communicate to get what they needed done. We drew a shape on a piece of paper with a pen. Then we stuck it in a stainless steel pan along with about 50 termites. We observed as they all worked together to follow this "path."

We learned that Termites communicate in these ways:
        - By banging their heads against the floor to warn the family of danger.
        - By using their touch/feeling to direct.
        - They leave a trail of their scent, then all the other termites know where to
           go by using their sense of smell.

This is an example of termites following a certain path, kind of like
in our lab.

Termite Biology!

Termites are decomposers, they break down cellulose. Termites are also social insects. Three activities that social insects do together are build their home, take care of their young, and find food. Termites live in a colony. There are different jobs given to different caste members of their colony.

Here are all the different caste members that live in a termite colony:

WoRkEr:
They are blind and have chewing mouthparts. They get food, build tunnels, bury termites, and feed and groom other members.

SoLdiER:
They are blind with scissor-like mouthparts and a hard, red head. They can emit a sticky substance to defend from predators. They are the guards. They protect the colony.

ThE QuEeN:
She has an enlarged abdomen and live up to 20 years. She is the parent of everyone and she decides what each larvae will become when they are grown.

ThE KiNg:
He has a slightly enlarged abdomen and wing stubs. He is the parent of everyone as well.

SeCoNdArY RePrOdUcTiVe:
They are blind with a slightly enlarged abdomen. They help the king or queen reproduce when told to do so by the queen. If the queen or king were to die one of these would replace them.

AlatEs:
They have sight, wings, and a harder exoskeleton. They leave to find a new habitat. They fly to a light then meet a mate, drop to the ground and lose their wings. Then they go and become the king and queen of a new colony.

Termite Feeding and the Symbiotic Protozoa!

 Termites and Protozoa have a symbiotic relationship. This means that these two dissimilar organisms have a benificial relationship together. Here are some different examples of their symbiotic relationship:
      
 PROTOZOA:
               - They receive shelter in the termites gut.
               - They get cellulose, which is their food source. The cellulose is from the wood
                  eaten by the termites.
         
TERMITES:
               - They receive acetate which is produced by the protozoa. Acetate is how
                  termites get their energy.


Here are the protozoa that live in the termites...

Estimate Termite Population!

A type of method that is used to estimate population is called Mark-Release-Recapture or the Lincoln Peterson Method. The basics of this particular method are you capture a certain number of what you are trying to find the population of, then you mark them and let them go, then you go back and capture more and see how many are marked and how many are not.

You use this formula N= (m)(s)
                                         t

N= The Estimated Population size.
m= number of termites (in this case) marked in the first capture.
s= number of termites captured in each round.
t= number of marked termites in the recapture.

Management and Control!

The three things that termites need are food, water, and shelter. If you get rid of those for a termite around your house then you are least likely to get termites. Here are some different ways to protect your home from having termite damage:

1. Plan where you put your lights on the outside of your house because alates fly to those lights to find their mate and a home.

2. Inspect your home for termites at least once a month.

3. Don't leave piles of wood laying on the ground because that will attract the termites to your area.

4. Don't put any plants too close to your walls.

5. Make sure that water is being directed away from your house by using hoses or troughs.

6. Make sure there are no cracks in your cement.

If you do have termites in or around your house and these easy steps didn't help then I suggest you try using either soil insecticides or bait stations. 



BAIT  STATION



SOIL  INSECTICIDES