They might bring down the house

Usage examples of termites.

Studies of these agents are proceeding, but the nematodes are likely to control only the largest termites such as Mastotermes.

Not only did they precede us by more than two hundred million years, but termites had air-conditioning before we had houses and wasps could paralyse their prey before we had anaesthesia.

Humans have traditionally eliminated forests and trees when they clear the land for agriculture, and they unwittingly substituted their own homes for the termites to live within and upon.

They are larger than subterranean termites and live in much smaller colonies.

Little piles or sprinkles of these dark-coloured, granular particles are a good indication that termites live with us.

In many cases termites stream up through cracks in the foundations to get to the wood.

Also, any time you find shelter tubes of subterranean termites, break them apart to allow the ants in.

Chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as the chemical chlordane, are used routinely for termites (and ants) in thousands of homes with dozens of litres being used for an average domestic residence.

Fumigation kills only the termites in the house and does not affect the underground nests.

One night, they noticed a funny clicking noise in the wall and to their horror, found that termites were in the process of turning their precious home into compost.

The first of these is a fungus - Metarhizium - which kills termites, and the second, a parasitic roundworm or nematode called Heterorhabditis.

The termites will pick it up while cleaning themselves and eventually be poisoned.

However, if too much poison is used, or if there is too much disturbance, the termites may simply close off the workings.

After which time, no more termites - although if there is a nest nearby, the house may be re-infested.

As the galleries in the nests of termites are moist, the pulsed electricity travels along them, zapping the insects as it goes.