Strange termite nests

Termites are great builders. They might be blind little critters, but in the animal kingdom, I think they are the greatest builders of all. The closest comparison might be the leaf cutting ants of South America, which can build very huge underground complexes, but still, when it comes to architecture, scale, and diversity, termites are the masters.

The best examples of termite nests or termitaria, are the termite mounds. These kinds of termites build awesome nests that can stand about 9 meters tall and large enough to house a couple of people (like an igloo). The best examples of termite mounds are in Africa, where the rock solid mounds stand like monoliths on the savannah, lasting for as long as decades. These mounds are all self contained environments with their own internal temperature, humidity, and water supply (from wells deep down in the water table). Some mounds end up as habitat for other wild animals of the plains, like warthogs, cheetahs, mongooses, and aardvarks (which feed on the termites too).

In Australia, the termite, Nasutitermes triode can build huge mounds as well, which look like cathedral pillars. These mounds can sometimes take on strange forms; sometimes they look like a hand with fingers, as the photo above suggests! It can be hard to believe that tiny, blind insects built such incredulous structures.

Termites build their nests wherever it is convenient for them, and then adapt their nest accordingly. That’s quite a remarkable trait. This means, it waterlogged areas, they site their entire nest higher. If the king and queen of a mound building termite happened to start their nest in a stump, they build their nest around the stump. Even some subterranean termites can build their nests above ground, so long as conditions are alright for them.

A curious example is that of termites building their nests within the walls of ant nests. That is right, termites living with their enemies, the ants! Except they don’t encounter each other but somehow know how to evade the ants, being separated by just a thin wall of earth in some cases.

Some termite species can also build round nests up on a pole or tree trunk. These are called arboreal termites, not because they can fly, but because they build arboreal nests. Some of these arboreal termites can adapt their nests to build them on ground level, if and when they have to.

There are also termite species that build small pillar nests that have an umbrella-like construction over them. It is believed these are meant to keep out rain, but we don’t really know what they are for. In rainforests, the amount of rainwater falling down onto the ground is often reduced by the thick canopy above, and yet, some rainforest termite species build such queer looking nests; it can’t be just to keep out the rain!