13
through the nest by means of special channels and use the water that
comes from underground tunnels they have dug, and thus regulate the tem-
perature and humidity.
Do you realize how hard this process is, and that termites have to act in a
way marked by careful consideration of many things together? And yet
what we have mentioned so far is merely a brief summary of the numerous
things that termites do.
Another characteristic of termites is their defense of the nest, which may be
up to seven meters high. Termites are alarmed whenever there is a hole in
the walls of their nest. Hitting their heads against the walls, termites on
watch give warning to all members of the colony. Following this warning,
larvae are moved to securer places. The entrances of the chamber where the
king and the queen live are blocked by quickly built walls. The damaged
section is surrounded by soldier termites, which are followed by workers
who carry the material to restore the wall. In a few hours, the destroyed
area is covered with a heap. Then the inner compartments are constructed.
Termites act following a prescribed plan, and each member of the colony
carries out its task without causing any disorder.
W O N D E R F U L C R E A T U R E S
