Seasonal Foraging and Feeding Behavior ofReticulitermesspp. (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in a Wildland and a Residential Location in Northern California

Abstract

Seasonal activity of Reticulitermes was observed at 2 sites using ABS pipe monitoring stations. At a wildland site, 68 of the monitoring stations were occupied by termites during the study; 53, 10, and 5 for hydrocarbon phenotypes A, B, and C, respectively. At the residential site, 26 monitoring stations were occupied; 14 and 12, for hydrocarbon phenotypes A' and D, respectively. Live body weights of workers averaged 2.28, 1.46, and 1.66 mg for phenotypes A, B, and C, respectively, at the wildland site. The workers had similar live body weights at the residential site; phenotype D averaged 2.40 mg, slightly more than the 2.26 mg for phenotype A'. There were no discernible seasonal or monthly trends in live body weights. The percentage of the monitoring stations occupied ranged from 76.7-89.3% and 81.2-93.5% at the wildland and residential sites, respectively. The estimated number of termites was low in the late fall through the early spring and peaked from June to October at the wildland site and peaked from June to November or December at the residential site. Wood consumption by Reticulitermes followed similar trends at both sites. Wood consumption was minimal during the winter, increased slightly in the spring and early summer, peaked in the summer and early fall, then declined in the late fall. Wood consumption reached 1.1-1.3 g per day per monitoring station at the wildland site and 0.8 g per day per monitoring station at the residential site.