AUSINSPECTPest
& Asset Maintenance
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Termite Flight Some Images of a Termite reproductive flight, Termite Alates swarming on the ground at the base of a tree in Loftus during a warm, humid, still November afternoon just before a Southerly storm is about to arrive.
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Stephen Koelewyn - NSW Builders Licence 45109c - Building Consultant Licence BC213 - Pest Control Licence 2025Home
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Alates (winged termites) that have swarmed from flight holes
in a mature tree have fallen to the ground around the base of the tree in the
thousands, the large amount of termites that flew out of this tree was far
greater than I would commonly observe during observations of reproductive
flight, only a vary small percentage of termites fell to the ground, close to
the tree, during this flight, most of the termites flew for some distance to
neighboring areas.
Soldier termites congregate around the flight cuts in the tree
to protect the Alates and worker termites during flight.
Ditto
Multiple flight cuts were observed to the trunk of the tree,
the conditions were still at the time of the flight, flight occurred from all
sides of the tree in this instance, I have observed other flights where termites
have had the flight cuts only on the side of the tree that is down wind, giving
the termites the best chance to utilise natural air movement to gain maximum
distance from the nest.
Worker termites immediately create mudding over the flight
cuts to protect the termite workings from predators and to recreate an enclosed,
controlled environment.
The flight cuts are closed within minutes of the flight of
Termite Alates.
Ditto
Within minutes of the termite flight reaching a finale, the
flight cuts are hard to identify visually from a distance grater than a couple
of meters, amazing to see how well controlled the entire flight is and how rapid
the workings are tidied up, nature at it's absolute best.
