subject: A Bit Of Information About Termites [print this page] The swarmy little buggers live in colonies of a million or more. They cannot hear or see in traditional ways but have other ways to communicate through vibrations, contact and chemicals. This allows them to find food, sense danger and perform other functions. They communicate through chemicals known as pheromones. It is a substance they secrete to indicate a food source, signal danger or select mates. Each colony has its own unique smell. To alert other colony members, they will hit their head against a wall of a mud tube, what they are eating or in some cases, each other. If enough termites are hitting something at the same time, the noise is audible to the human ear. If you think you hear something that goes "bump" in the night, it might a colony of termites partying hearty on your house.
