Pest Management Professional, July 2016

A caste of thousands An interview with an Eastern subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes BY Will NEppEr Senior Editor Pest Management Professional PMP Thanks for joining me I hope this interview isnt too much for you after a full day of work Eastern subterranean termite EST Oh Im always working Now is as good a time as any Sorry if its a little humid in here by the way Can I offer you something to eat EST opens a kitchen cabinet and stacks of lumber fall out PMP declines discreetly wiping a bit of sweat from his brow as EST begins gnawing away on his timber dinner I hope you dont mind me eating during the interview Ive gotta be back at my post tout suite so Im always eating on the run On his way to the dining room table EST accidentally hip checks the kitchen counter before tripping over PMPs foot and crashing into the table PMP Are you feeling OK EST Oh heavens yes Just blind as a bat Its amazing I and the rest of the guys and gals down at the job ever get anything done Such is the life of a worker PMP What kind of work do you do EST Oh you know the typical worker caste stuff Did you see that amazing tubing work the shelter tubing outside Thats all me and my department We just finished those and now well be splitting up to repair some older tubes while some of the others stick around to run the cafeteria beauty salon and daycare center PMP For real EST Sure Were not one trick ponies like uh cough soldiers and reproductives cough He flashes PMP a conspiratorial wink Not only do we work construction we also feed and groom other termites and care for eggs and our kids If that werent enough we pick up some of the soldiers slack and help out with colony defense from time to time too Actually I kind of feel sorry for those soldiers All of that good they do protecting our colonies the sizes of which can range between tens of thousands and 5 million and they cant even feed themselves So we PMP Help feed them EST I was going to say puke up our leftovers for them But yeah help feed them sounds nicer PMP How did you become a worker EST The moment I hatched Its luck of the draw really We all start out as workers but life has a way of changing us all in different ways PMP I know what you mean EST Oh You molt too PMP Uh no I thought you meant EST We all start out as workers and most of us stay that way But if youre lucky you might come out the other side of a good molting as a pre soldier which will then become a soldier Its kind of like retirement for us when that happens After youre a soldier theres no looking back Youll never molt again but youll defend with honor until the day you die PMP Is that what you want EST Dont we all want to have retirement and honor Of course things could go sideways your species is still trying to figure out whether workers really do develop into nymphs for example Theres this whole Pseudergate thing that makes the headlines too Lots of rumors flying around but Im too busy to pay much attention PMP I bet You seem to be devoted to work but what do you and your colleagues do for fun EST We swarm man In the daytime between February and April we just bust out all over Its like our Burning Man or Woodstock Our swarms even have that free love vibe After we swarm the male and female alates lose their wings pair up and PMP Remember this is a family publication EST And if youd let me finish pair up and form new colonies PMP I have to be honest My species is not a fan of your species EST Stop making things out of wood and you humans might learn to like us I mean its not like we dont play a critical role in decomposing dead organic matter that keeps nature in balance or anything In fact some smarter humans in your academic castes have even said our contribution to regulating the environment outweighs the disadvantages of us destroying the integrity of your precious living structures PMP Well Ill try and spread the word Thanks for taking the time to talk to me EST No problem But I should probably clean myself up before returning to the job How do I look No vision no mirrors PMP You look soft bodied kind of creamy white round head EST Perfect EST leans in to shake PMPs hand misses by about a foot and takes a tumble that sends him right out the door and back to work He shouts from outside Dont take that human gift of sight for granted Ever pmp You can reach NEPPER at wnepper@ northcoastmedia net or 216 706 3775 50 July 2016 pest management professional mypmp net Photo istock com michael Pettigrew CONVERSATION PIECE t s