Facts
We chose to research the Cryptotermes cavifrons because of how unique termites are. They actually eat wood! When you stop and think about them, they are quite amazing little creatures that live in harsh environments, work together, and find a way to keep on living.
C. cavifrons have also been referred to as powderpost termites (Brammer and Scheffrahn 2002).
Less than two percent of a colony is made up of soldiers (Brammer and Scheffrahn 2002). Worker termites are sterile (Brammer and Scheffrahn 2002).
Colony members work together to care for the young termites (Brammer and Scheffrahn 2002).
Colony formation typically takes at least five years (Brammer and Scheffrahn 2002).
The most effective treatment for infestation is fumigation, which takes up to two days (Scheffrahn and Su 1997).
Other treatments include cooling the infested region and electrocuting termites, both of which take up to 30 minutes (Scheffrahn and Su 1997).
These termites seek out habitats that have limited water. They contain three glands in the rectal area that maximize water absorption. Before pellet excretion, the majority of the water is taken up in the body (Brammer and Scheffrahn 2002).
Glands in the rectum compress waste pellets before excretion resulting in pellets with six sides (Brammer and Scheffrahn 2002). Their fecal matter size is extremely small, but often times it is the only indication of infestation (Brammer and Scheffrahn 2002).