# termite culture



## forestexotics (Nov 14, 2006)

As some of you remember there was a thread a while back on how to make a termite culture, I finally got around to trying it out. Hopefully it works out.
First you get two steralite containers, one that should fit nicely inside the other.








next get popsicle sticks (walmart) and some cardboard or brown paper towels and soak them in water for a while.








I cut a squares from a 2x4 and my hubby drilled out the center with a paddle bit. It doesnt have to be perfect. 








Next, cut some grooves from the outer edges to the hollowed center.








Next you want to drain the water from the cardboard and cruble it up. Fit the crumbled paper into the hollow center and then put the popsicle sticks in the steralite. Fit the two pieces of 2x4 together.








next you can put vermiculite or soil over the popsicle sticks. Then add the termites. Put some water in the larger container and then place the smaller of the two inside the larger to keep strays from escaping. 








If it seems to dry out add some water to the crumbled cardboard or add more cardboard if needed. Humidity should stay high. Keep in a cool dark place.. Hope this helps some people out. Lets hope it works as it should, I just made it today, so I guess we will see.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

I've had better luck with the termites when I keep the culture closer to 80 F. 

Ed


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## SA_Ka_20 (Apr 10, 2010)

I wouldn't try this.... a neotenic individual escapes and you're in trouble. :s

Anyway, it's forbidden in France. ^^


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Normally you need more than one of the workers to escape to establish a new colony. I'm not too worried as any escapees are going to have problems on a solid concrete floor... 

Ed


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

im with Ed LOL! thanks for posting sara i did buy most of the products to culture. i'm not afraid of any getting loose. im pretty darn careful and have even ventured outside to shake them into feeder cups. if there is one insect really good for underweight frogs etc this is the one IMO. and the frogs love them. i am feeding them termites once a week. my pumilio will even eat them even when at first glance they look a bit too big for them. great post!


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## SA_Ka_20 (Apr 10, 2010)

Yeah, only one would have nearly 0 chances of survival but i wouldn't recommand it to anyone that doesn't know what he's doing, even if it's a great food source.

I've seen reports of full ants colony escaping from their raising nest in a few hours (poor guy had problem with his wife )... I wouldn't be surprised if termites could do the same, provided that the room's H is enough and lights are off.
Still it depends of specie raised, as some do no arm to housing.
I personnaly don't know how differenciate them and even if my contry's law allowed too I wouldn't do it. 



nb : I feel like I'm the only one on earth considering termites as a potential threat to my life... I feel paranoid. ^^


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

out of curiosity as im about to culture does the wood type matter? cedar, pine, oak etc


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

Never use Cedar, it contains harmful properties, Pine works just fine and its cheap.


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

Julio said:


> Never use Cedar, it contains harmful properties, Pine works just fine and its cheap.


good pine is what i got but was worried as its 95 flipping degrees out and sooo humid. not good when your 6.5 months preggo here and about to overheat to have to go back. ( i have seen it snow in may what is going on lol!) home depot cut me two blocks for free out of scraps...good thing i almsot chose the cedar julio. thanks bud!


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## forestexotics (Nov 14, 2006)

I as well didnt know about cedar being harmful, but I was going to say pine. When I go termite hunting, the only wood that termites are in is pine...they love it. Your preggers kristy? I did not know that. You got any ultrasound pics? Im sorry, Im uber nosy when it comes to babies. My son is 15 months old now, but I just adore lil ones!


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

forestexotics said:


> I as well didnt know about cedar being harmful, but I was going to say pine. When I go termite hunting, the only wood that termites are in is pine...they love it. Your preggers kristy? I did not know that. You got any ultrasound pics? Im sorry, Im uber nosy when it comes to babies. My son is 15 months old now, but I just adore lil ones!


awesome glad i got pine! and it is a softer wood 

yep im 25 weeks and 3 days along. this is our fifth and last. :faint: LOL!!!



her name is Lillian. we had an amnio done so she is definitely a girl! my youngest is 2 years old. we have an 8-6-4-2 yr old both boys are older and both girls younger. and alllll were conceived about the same month in the year and 2 years apart. definitely busy but i truly enjoy it. i'm gonna miss no more babies but i think a lot would agree 5 is enough


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

I would imagine that fir 2x4s (untreated of course) would work well. Pine wood often comes in alternating bands of dry wood and sap-filled layers. Termites do better with dry wood. Stumps of dead pine trees can be preserved for decades due to all the sap. We called it light wood because a piece will burn at the touch of a match and it's great for getting fires started.

I've never thought to culture them, but I do collect them frequently to give the frogs a treat.

I assume that they don't reproduce unless you have an established queen termite to lay eggs and a functioning colony.


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

its my understanding that with enough of just workers and soldiers they will eventually reproduce with wet wood termites


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## SA_Ka_20 (Apr 10, 2010)

They don't need an ex-flying queen and 'king' to reproduce. 
Like ants they have flying sexuated individuals for reproduction, but also separated from their reproducive couple (and their pheromones) some larvae will grow into 'neotenic' individuals that will reproduce. 
That's how you can culture them without having to pickup a disgusting 5cm long queen ! 

It may take a month or more to get a larvae become a neotenic, that explain the slow starting of the culture.


Make sure your culture box is well sealed ! ^^


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

its well sealed ( double boxed) LOL!!!! i have OCD and im not even worried about it tee hee hee


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

SA_Ka_20 said:


> They don't need an ex-flying queen and 'king' to reproduce.
> Like ants they have flying sexuated individuals for reproduction, but also separated from their reproducive couple (and their pheromones) some larvae will grow into 'neotenic' individuals that will reproduce.
> That's how you can culture them without having to pickup a disgusting 5cm long queen !
> 
> ...


Really? I didn't know that - one thing I love about this site is that I learn something new every time I log on. I will definitely give this a try. Thanks. I was thinking of putting the container in the back yard and covering it with some leaf litter. We already have termites in our yard and have not had problems with the house. That would serve the dual purpose of not having to worry about them escaping and it would keep the temperature higher.


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## SA_Ka_20 (Apr 10, 2010)

There's a lot of species and some are never seen attacking houses or building, but I don't know wich one. 
Maybe someone knows them and how to identify them ?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

SA_Ka_20 said:


> They don't need an ex-flying queen and 'king' to reproduce.
> Like ants they have flying sexuated individuals for reproduction, but also separated from their reproducive couple (and their pheromones) some larvae will grow into 'neotenic' individuals that will reproduce.
> That's how you can culture them without having to pickup a disgusting 5cm long queen !
> 
> ...


In at least the commonly used subterranean termites in the USA, the formation of the secondary reproductives is from nymphs and usually requires a certain density of workers to trigger the formation. In addition, this can take months so if you are trying to establish the colony as a culture you shouldn't be harvesting from it as this can potentially remove the nymphs before the secondary (or tertiary) reproductives get established. 

Once the culture is established harvesting from it can keep the population below the threshold for the formation of winged reproductives. 

see http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/pdf/FSA-7061.pdf



ED


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## TDK (Oct 6, 2007)

I tried this over a year ago without sucess. The termites were kept in a room at 80 degrees and the smaller shoe box containers of termites were kept in larger grey storage boxes sitting on top of bricks sitting in water so that any escapees would hopefull drown. It never produced however the termites stayed alive. I bred crickets and they are a lot of trouble to keep going. I've had my best luck with fruit flies followed by flour beetle larvae and bean beetles.


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

ed how many would you say is needed to establish a breeding colony?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Hi Kristy,

check out this thread Culturing termites [Archive] - Arachnoboards 

The thread indicates that it can be done with only a couple of hundred termites but if you don't collect any nymphs with the workers your colony is going to fail as there won't be any termites that can develop into reproductives. The last time I set up a colony I didn't include any nymphs and it did crash after about three months (I also kept it too cool). 

Ed


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

awesome thanks for the link


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

how do i know i have nymphs or not LOL!!! i put about 4000 in the culture. I would thin k there would be some nymphs. unfortunately i'm horrible at bug identification  if it don t have wings etc im seeing all the same thing


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

You need to look for a termite that is 1/4 to 1/2 the size of a regular worker but in all other respects looks like a regular worker. If you have a bunch of them, then you are probably going to be okay with getting secondary reproductives (and if there appears to be more of them in the culture over time, then you have reproductives laying eggs). 


Ed


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

awesome! thanks for the info ed! im sure i prolly have some im just a lil clueless at times  sparked the curiosity tho. now im gonn ahve to look!


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## SA_Ka_20 (Apr 10, 2010)

Thanx for the info Ed !


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## rcteem (Mar 24, 2009)

Target has this great rubber liner that is water proof that i use for hospital tanks and qts. Its so tight of a seal no lil fruit flies get out


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## Junito (Jun 20, 2009)

sorry i know this is pretty old thread just have 3 questions. I'm going to try and culture termites i already have 1,000 but if i need more i will order more. 

My 1st question is instead of using the pine wood can i use the cardboard with the slots instead.
2nd question is can i use a roll of brown paper the type u find in the paint section of home depot or lowes instead of the unbleached paper towels. 

3rd question instead of using the popsicle sticks can i use pieces of repti bark for them to chew on

thanks to all who help me out.


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## mcaiger53 (Jan 3, 2011)

I'm new to frogs, but the 2x4 pine blocks looked blue to me, might just be the pick tho. Blue or red lumber usually means that its fire-resistant. It is impermiated with nasty chemicals to make it fire resistant. I think that if the termites could survive, they would probably pass something to the frogs. I would make sure to get untreated lumber. Just something to think about. Mike


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## Junito (Jun 20, 2009)

well i started my cultures on the 12/28 n im using repti bark in one bin n popsicle sticks in another. they seem to enjoy the repti bark way more the the sticks. I'm also using cardboard instead of the pine wood in my cultures n using brown paper from the roll in the paint section of lowes/HD stores. They seem like there doing great alot of movement but i will keep everyone updated in a few more weeks hopefully they reproduce without any problems.


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