Channel: Deep Look

Category: Science & Technology

Tags: pbsflying termites in houseeducationcolonytermite nestwestern subterranean termiteswarmingtermite colonyflying termitestermitetermites vs antsalatebugstermitesflying termites after raininsectreticulitermes hesperusswarming termitesdocumentarymacrosoldier termitereticulitermesemergencenaturedeep lookalatesinsectstermite swarmtermite controlswarmwingsscience4kemergeformosan termiteswildants vs termitesmud tubes from termites

Description: After the first big rain, western subterranean termites swarm by the thousands. Hungry ants, spiders and birds pick them off as they emerge from the soil. The survivors fly off to find mates, and quickly drop their delicate wings to start new underground colonies. If you’re really unlucky, they’ll build tubes of mud and saliva from their nest to yours. DEEP LOOK is an ultra-HD (4K) short video series created by KQED San Francisco and presented by PBS Digital Studios. See the unseen at the very edge of our visible world. Explore big scientific mysteries by going incredibly small. --- These massive swarms of western subterranean termites happen once a year in California on a warm, windless day shortly after the first big rain that ended the dry summer. Winged termites called alates push through the softened soil. They crawl out of cracks in the road and holes in tree stumps. Big-headed soldier termites stand guard to defend them. Underground colonies send these alates up to reproduce with alates from nearby colonies. Once a male and female alate find each other, their wings break off. The male runs after the female very quickly, before they both dig themselves into the earth and start their own colony. --- --- Do all termites fly? Only some members of any termite colony can fly. But all types of termites (subterranean, drywood and dampwood) produce alates, whose job it is to fly out and start new colonies. --- Do flying termites eat wood? No. Once a pair of flying termites have hooked up, they lose their wings, dig underground, mate and lay thousands of eggs. They will be the king and queen of their colony. The worker termites they make will then leave the nest to forage for sources of cellulose, like a dead tree, or wood in a house. When they return to the nest, these workers will feed the colony’s king and queen, as well as the young termites. --- Should I worry about flying termites? If you see termites flying out inside your house, they could be a sign of infestation. But the more common signs of a subterranean termite infestation are tubes made from earth that worker termites build at the bottom of your house connecting wooden structures to the soil. Termites build these so-called shelter tubes from mud, saliva and even bits of wood or drywall. The insects desiccate easily and need these covered shelter tubes to stay moist. ---+ Find additional resources and a transcript on KQED Science: kqed.org/science/1978298/flying-termites-take-a-dangerous-journey-to-a-new-life ---+ More great Deep Look episodes: These Termites Turn Your House into a Palace of Poop youtu.be/DYPQ1Tjp0ew Watch Bed Bugs Get Stopped in Their Tracks youtu.be/ToeWrGTGOOI A Flea’s Fantastic Jump Takes More Than Muscle youtu.be/A5KvNcNz9aQ ---+ Shoutout! 🏆Congratulations🏆 to the first 5 fans on our Deep Look Community Tab to correctly answer our GIF challenge! NeExtraOleas Amber Cooper Grace Chen Violet A. Salticidae Duncan ---+ Thank you to our Top Patreon Supporters ($10+ per month)! Jessica Chris B Emrick Burt Humburg Karen Reynolds David Deshpande Daisuke Goto Allison & Maka Masuda Adam Kurtz Tianxing Wang Companion Cube Josh Kuroda Wild Turkey Germán Botón García Mark Jobes Blanca Vides Kevin Judge Jana Brenning Aurora monoirre Titania Juang Roberta K Wright Anastasia Grinkevic Syniurge Supernovabetty Carrie Mukaida KW El Samuels Jellyman Nicky O. Cristen Rasmussen Mehdi Kristy Freeman Scott Faunce SueEllen McCann Kelly Hong Sonia Tanlimco Noreen Herrington Cindy McGill Louis O'Neill Misia Clive Laurel Przybylski Shelley Pearson Cranshaw Jeremiah Sullivan Joshua Murallon Robertson Nicolette Ray Caitlin McDonough Wade Tregaskis 吳怡彰 Levi Cai Shonara Rivas kenneth nguyen ! Silvan Delphine Tseng TierZoo Elizabeth Ann Ditz Corvus Crudus rafael pirondi ---+ Follow KQED Science and Deep Look: Instagram: instagram.com/kqedscience Twitter: twitter.com/kqedscience ---+ About KQED KQED, an NPR and PBS affiliate in San Francisco, California, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, radio and web media. Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios. Deep Look is a project of KQED Science, the largest science and environment reporting unit in California. KQED Science is supported by the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, Campaign 21 and the members of KQED. #subterraneantermites #termites #deeplook