TERMITES. 



come out of the nests ; these fly for a short time and then lose their wings. 

 They are full-grown males and females but they are not fully developed. 

 The greater number, if not all, of these perish, the wings falling off very 

 readily and the insects being eaten by their numerous enemies. 



The food of the termites consists of vegetable matter, normally of 

 dead dry timber, but also of living plant tissue. It is still an unsettled 

 point whether all termites will attack a sound healthy living plant ; 

 they will attack unhealthy living plant tissue, e.g., a cut sugarcane, and 

 it is certain that some will actually eat a sound healthy plant. In 

 general the termites are injurious in buildings, where they utterly des- 

 troy wood, leather, paper and similar materials. They also attack mango- 

 trees in parts of Bombay and the Central Provinces ; the chilli crop of 

 Gujarat is much attacked, as also is sugarcane, wheat, ground-nut and 

 other crops in many parts of India. Exceptionally other crops are 

 attacked, often when in the rainy season the ants are driven up by the high 

 level of the soil water and have to find food close to the surface and not 

 in their usual haunts. 



Termites are rarely seen to be attacking a plant or a house until 

 it is too late to take 

 steps against them ; 

 they make a tunnel 

 from their nest to the 

 object on which they 

 wish to feed. Should 

 they have to cross an 

 open space or go up 

 a wall, they make 

 a covered way. Having 

 reached their objective 

 they eat into it, remov- 

 ing the tissue and leav- 

 ing only a shell. 



The treatment of white-ants depends upon the circumstances of each 

 case. The following methods are applicable in special cases : 



(1) If a field is infested with white-ants, search for the nest, digit 

 out and burn it, taking especial care to destroy any large individuals 

 found in it which may be queens. 



(2) If the nest is found but cannot be dug out, pour in carbon 

 bisulphide, kerosene, sanitary fluid, or even abundance of hot water. 

 This will destroy the nest and if the queens are killed the colony will 

 be destroyed. 



Fia. 274. 



Young Termites which will become queens. 

 (Magnified.) 



