Termites are masterful soil engineers capable of erecting cathedral-like edifices out of dirt, saliva and feces. To create and maintain their homes, they become miners, masons, scaffolders, plasterers and roofers. Working together, they don’t just build simple nests; they install air-conditioning, central heating and even security devices. In Namaqualand, the termite activity over thousands of years has resulted in the formation of a hard layer of calcite (the same mineral that limestone is made of), which protects the colonies against predators that are strong diggers, such as aardvarks. “When we dig a soil profile that breaks any part of the mound, we see that the termite soldiers and workers switch into a sort of emergency mode and appear almost instantly,” Dr. Francis said. “The soldiers guard the tunnels and the workers do the repair work.

Unlike ants, which run out of their nests en masse and bite, termites are amazingly efficient.”

Show