# culturing Subterranean termites (Charlesbrooks)



## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

After several request about culturing Subterranean termites, I decided to start this thread. This is not ment to take anything away from Stemceller, who done an excellent job. This is only ment to offer an alternative culturing method. Again, not to take any thing away.



You will need the following items;

2 plastic boxes with lids. Make sure that one box is slightly smaller than the other.
Bottle of Seachem's reef calcium.
Fine coco fiber, (you can use peat moss as a substitute).
Some Subterranean termites.
Distilled, R.O., or dischlorinated water.
Thick cardboard,( the thicker, the better).
Mixing bucket.
Pen
Heavy-duty scissors 

Combine coco fiber, water, with a little reef calcium into your mixing bucket. Mix well, don't worry about adding too much reef calcium. You cannot overdose it. You want your coco fiber to have the consistency of moist soil. Set that to the side. Now with your smaller plastic box, trace several bottoms from your box onto the cardboard. With your scissors, cut out the bottoms you have traced onto the cardboard. Set your cardboard bottoms to the side. Go back to your coco fiber. Add about a 2" depth of coco fiber to your smaller box. Firmly compact the coco fiber evenly in your smaller box. Place all of your pre-cut cardboard bottoms on top of your coco fiber. So what you are making is a coco fiber, cardboard sandwich in your small box. You product is almost complete. Add your termites to the smaller box. Cover your box. Don't be concern about air holes. It's more than enough air exchange with the lid on for your termites. Add 2" water depth to your larger box. This will act as moat (thanks Ed). Place your smaller box into the lager box with the water. Cover the larger box. Your product is now complete. You will notice your culture will start to build ant like tunnels though the coco fiber.Your culture should be ready to harvest in several months. A good indicator when you see an increase in termites in the tunnels, and you will also increase in tunneling on the side of your smaller box. Collect only from the cardboard. Leave the coco fiber undisturbed. I recommend starting several cultures. Rotate collecting time with the boxes.
Unlike other social insects, Subterranean termites don't need a queen in order to reproduce. In the queen absence, the colony goes though a secondary reproductive stage.


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

Thanks for the write up Charles. Sounds pretty simple.

I've been interested in culturing termites for a while now. Even if it took several months to get them to the point of being able to start feeding them out. The one thing that is stopping me is that "flying stage". I fear opening the box one day and having THOUSANDS of termites flying out infecting my house.

Could you comment on what that flying stage actually is? Is it just a one time occurrence while the culture is getting established?

THANKS!


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## BlackFrogExotics (Jan 9, 2014)

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/444/444-502/444-502.html#

Heres a link that may help. Its say during the spring months.

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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

gary1218 said:


> Thanks for the write up Charles. Sounds pretty simple.
> 
> I've been interested in culturing termites for a while now. Even if it took several months to get them to the point of being able to start feeding them out. The one thing that is stopping me is that "flying stage". I fear opening the box one day and having THOUSANDS of termites flying out infecting my house.
> 
> ...


Hey Gary, Being heavier, larger, during the winged stage, termites are very poor flyers. They need air movement or/and high launching point in order to become airborne. What makes sense if you think about it. They need the extra energy during this time to be able to travel great distances, find another suitable home, and mate. This is denied to them in your control setting. If anything, you are more likely move the cardboard in your culture, and discover winged termites this way. Incapable of flying..


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## JPccusa (Mar 10, 2009)

charlesbrooks said:


> ...Now with your smaller plastic box, trace several bottoms from your box onto the cardboard. With your scissors, cut out the bottoms you have traced onto the cardboard. Set your cardboard bottoms to the side.


About how many do you mean by "several" to make 1 culture?


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Anyone thought to use different containers besides plastic for these beasts? I don't know how much space you give cultures but perhaps finger bowls(glass culture dishes) would be a good option. Or else pyrex food containers.


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

JPccusa said:


> About how many do you mean by "several" to make1 culture?


It's all up to your digression. I recommend at least three layers. Of course, the more layers, the more work you are putting in your culture. When it comes time to you will harvest, you will harvest more termites because you are adding more volume to you culture. Downside, the termites takes longer time to harvest because you are spreading your culture out of more volume. You also have to the size of the box you are using into condidetation.
So it's quantity, vs. time, and space.


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

Dendrobait said:


> Anyone thought to use differeners besides plastic for these beasts? I don't know how much space you give cultures but perhaps finger bowls(glass culture dishes) would be a good option. Or else pyrex food containers.


Joseph, you can use glass containers, applying the same principle I mentioned above.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Charles:

Any issues with these guys chewing through and then flooding themselves or drowning? I'd assume if you had them in a moat and they chewed through the plastic below you would have a muddy mess on your hands.


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

Dendrobait said:


> Charles:
> 
> Any issues with these guys chewing through and then flooding themselves or drowning? I'd assume if you had them in a moat and they chewed through the plastic below you would have a muddy mess on your hands.


In my 20 years + of collecting, rearing Subterranean termites, I never witnessed termites being able to chew though plastic. Wood, and wood products are made up of fibers. As you can imagine, the fibers allow termites to grip, and chew on wood. Plastic, glass, and other similar materials are not made up of fibers. I personally keep my termites without the moat. The moat is idea that I borrowed from Ed. I wanted my fellow members to be able to culture termites 100 percent worry free. As a culture ages, termites will start to build tunnels up the sides of your culture containers. Termites will use the tunnels as a makeshift ladder to try to escape if you leave it uncheck. I just knockdown tunnels to keep my termites in check. You can see the tunnels coming a mile away. This is where the moat come in to play. Any termites that managed to escape though the makeshift ladder will drown in the moat.


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## Dendrobait (May 29, 2005)

Interesting. I read anecdotes a while back(member on arachnoboards) who had issues with termites chewing through plastic. I'm sure the type of plastic matters. Hearing from you is very reassuring though.

Should also add that if somehow termites do end up on the floor they almost certainly dry up into little rice crispys before they can do any harm. Unless your house has serious issues.


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## JPccusa (Mar 10, 2009)

Dendrobait said:


> Should also add that if somehow termites do end up on the floor they almost certainly dry up into little rice crispys before they can do any harm. Unless your house has serious issues.


... or if you live in a humid area.


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## radiata (Jul 24, 2010)

charlesbrooks said:


> Unlike other social insects, Subterranean termites don't need a queen in order to reproduce. In the queen absence, the colony goes though a secondary reproductive stage.


Charles,

I'm not familiar with any "secondary reproductive stage", which leads to my question: How long can a colony be kept with termites only going through their secondary reproductive stage? Will the colony crap out after a few generations, or can it be kept going indefinitely?

Thanks in advance for starting this thread,
Bob


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

radiata said:


> Charles,
> 
> I'm not familiar with any "secondary uctive stage", which leads to my question: How long can a colony be kept with termites only going through their secondary reproductive stage? Will the colony crap out after a few generations, or can it be kept going indefinitely?
> 
> ...


I have termites cultures going now for years without showing signs of collapsing.


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## JimO (May 14, 2010)

Here's a pretty good summary of the secondary reproduction in colonies of certain species of termites.

Termite queen avoids inbreeding by leaving a legacy of clones – Not Exactly Rocket Science


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

I apologize, I've been mispelling, "Stemcellular" throughout this thread.


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## kenya_1977 (Apr 8, 2004)

You say "moist soil". The cardboard going in is really dry, should it be sprayed down?


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

I hope this question makes sense 

Let's say you buy a starter culture of termites and put them in a new culture set up. After several months they get to the secondary reproductive stage and start reproducing. If you now split up that culture to make new ones will they start reproducing right away because they already have the secondary reproductive termites?


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## BlackFrogExotics (Jan 9, 2014)

It wont be right away from what im noticing from mine

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## radiata (Jul 24, 2010)

Charles,

Just wondering if you've had any successful experience containing feeder termites to a feeding dish using these - Lee's Mealworm Dish.

I've got one in most of my vivs for feeding Black Soldier Fly larvae, but some always manage to escape and morph into annoying BSFs. 

Will these dishes contain termites?

Thanks. 
Bob


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

radiata said:


> charles,
> 
> just wondering if you've had any successful experience containing feeder termites to a feeding dish using these - lee's mealworm dish.
> 
> ...


,, ,,,,,,, ,,,,, ,,,, ,,,,, ,,,,,, ,,,,, ,,,,,, ,,,,,


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

kenya_1977 said:


> You say "moist soil". Therdboard go in is really dr
> should it be sprayed down?


You can presoak your cardboard with water.if you like. Being kept in very high humidity. As your culture ages, the cardboard will become moist.


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

Just a friendly reminder.. You can gut-load termites with your favorite supplements. Get more of supplements into your animals. Supplements like paprika, superpig, naturose, and other high pigment supplements, you can actually see the supplements pass though the digestive tract of the Termites. This process is very simple to do. Take a small amount of your favorite supplement. Add the supplement to a small container. Add the number of termites you wish to feed out to the container. Let the container sit for about 45 minutes. Feed out the termites to your animals.


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

Arachnopets - Culturing termites
More information on culturing termites.


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