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How do termites build their mounds?

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Quick answer

Termites build mounds from soil pellets bound with saliva and droppings. Workers add pellets where building pheromones are strongest, so walls and arches rise without a blueprint. In large species the mound sits above an underground nest and acts like a lung, with daily temperature changes and wind moving air through porous walls.

Termites build their mounds by mixing soil with saliva and droppings into small pellets, which workers stack into walls, tunnels and chimneys around the colony's underground nest. The finished mound acts like a lung, using daily temperature swings and wind to move air through porous walls, exchanging gases for the colony.

Step by step

  1. Worker termites dig soil near the nest and carry tiny grains in their mouths.
  2. They mix the soil with saliva and faeces to form moist pellets that harden as they dry.
  3. Workers place pellets where pheromones and humid air are concentrated, so building spots reinforce themselves.
  4. Pellets pile into pillars, arches, tunnels and a thick outer crust, raising the mound over years.
  5. Sun heating the walls by day and cooling them at night drives air movement that ventilates the nest below.

Key things to understand

  1. Blind worker termites carry soil particles in their mouths and mix them with saliva and faeces to make a sticky building paste.
  2. Workers deposit these pellets where building pheromones and moist air are strongest, so construction concentrates in certain spots.
  3. Each added pellet releases more scent, attracting more builders, which lets pillars and arches rise without any planner.
  4. Large mounds contain a network of tunnels and porous walls that let carbon dioxide out and fresh oxygen in.
  5. Daily heating and cooling of the mound's outer walls drives air circulation, helping remove gases and moderate humidity.

Labelled diagram

  1. Outer wall

    A porous crust of soil pellets that lets gases seep in and out.

  2. Air channels

    Tunnels near the surface where air warms and cools through the day.

  3. Central chimney

    A large shaft connecting the nest below with the upper mound.

  4. Fungus combs

    Chambers where termites grow fungus on chewed plant material.

  5. Royal chamber

    The protected cell, usually low in the nest, holding king and queen.

Cross-section of a fungus-farming termite mound

Real-world examples

  • Odontotermes termites build mounds across India, and edible Termitomyces mushrooms often sprout from them after monsoon rains.
  • Macrotermes mounds in African savannas can stand taller than a person and last for decades.
  • Magnetic termites in Australia's Northern Territory build flat, north-south facing mounds like gravestones.
  • The Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, used passive ventilation inspired by termite mounds to reduce air conditioning.

Common mistake

✗ Myth: Termites are white ants.

✓ Fact: Termites are not ants at all. They are closely related to cockroaches, and their colonies include both male and female workers, unlike ants, whose workers are all female.

People also ask

How do termites build mounds without a plan?
Termites follow simple local rules rather than a blueprint. A worker drops a soil pellet laced with pheromone, and that scent attracts others to drop pellets nearby. Spots with more pellets attract even more building, so pillars rise and later join into arches. Humidity and airflow also guide where termites build next.
Why are termite mounds so tall?
A tall mound gives a large colony a big surface for exchanging gases with the air. Daily temperature changes and wind pushing on the tall structure move air through its channels, helping remove carbon dioxide and moisture from the nest below. Height also offers protection from floods and predators.
How long does it take termites to build a mound?
It varies with species, climate and colony size. Small mounds can appear within a season or two, while the large mounds of African Macrotermes may grow over many years and keep being repaired for decades. Some abandoned mounds are later reused by new colonies, extending their lifespan further.
Do termites live in the tall mound itself?
In many large mound-building species, the colony lives mostly in a nest at or below ground level. The tall mound above is largely a ventilation and protection structure laced with air channels.
Why do some termites farm fungus?
Fungus-growing termites, such as Macrotermes and Odontotermes, cultivate Termitomyces fungus on combs of chewed plant material. The fungus breaks down tough plant fibres, and the termites eat both the fungus and the partly digested material.
How do termites digest wood?
Termites rely on microbes in their guts, including bacteria and in some species single-celled protists, which break down cellulose that the insects could not easily digest alone. This is a classic example of symbiosis.
Why do Australian magnetic termite mounds point north-south?
Magnetic termites in northern Australia build thin, wedge-shaped mounds with their broad sides facing east and west. This catches gentle morning and evening sun while presenting only a narrow edge to the fierce midday heat.

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