I think we all can agree on one thing \u2013 termites are bad news. They destroy our homes and many of the things inside it \u2013 furniture, cabinets, and even photo albums! But aside from being one of our worst nightmares, there are some pretty interesting things about termites that may be worth knowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ants are the termites\u2019 largest natural predator so if you see an established ant colony in your garden or yard, then it\u2019s less likely for termites to establish a colony there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For every person on Earth, there are a thousand pounds of termite (that\u2019s not a typo). So if there are 7.7 billion people on the planet, well you can do the math.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alaska if probably the only state in the US with almost no termites due to its very cold conditions. The ones that do manage to survive there are not as dangerous as subterranean termites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Singapore, people eat queen termites either dipped in alcohol, soaked in rice wine or raw. They believe it can cure an illness or at least, for nutrition purposes. Macu Indians eat termites when there\u2019s nothing left to eat due to drought. Amazonians boil termites and mix it with sugar to cure the flu or whooping cough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The average termite queen which has a lifespan of 15 to 25 years can lay 4 eggs every minute. Some can produce even more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For their size, termites are capable of building as large as 12 inches of mound for their nests. They also create mud tubes from their home to their food. The highest mound found was in Africa, which was 42 feet high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, they were already here when the dinosaurs roamed the Earth. While the earliest humans were here 4 and a half million years ago, ancient termites lived 250 million years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One colony alone can consume up to a thousand pounds of wood in one year. Termites don\u2019t sleep so they spend all their time eating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In order to break down the wood they eat, termites release methane gas. Researchers believe they are capable of releasing as much as 150 million tons of gas annually which contributes significantly to air pollution and can have an adverse effect on our climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n