Escape behavior of Formosan subterranean termites to a disturbance commonly encountered around field monitors

Disturbances to monitors and baits have often been quoted as a confounding factor for the success of termite baiting system. We studied escape behavior of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki to a food source disturbance in the laboratory. Four peripheral chambers connected to the central food chamber served as escape routes from which escape patterns, escape and return times and difference in soldier and worker response were recorded. We used two sand conditions: wet and dry to test whether favorable vs. unfavorable conditions change escape behavior. The post disturbance responses were video recorded for one hour. Coptotermes formosanus quickly evacuated from the central chamber when disturbed. However, the maximum number of escapees only lasted between 20 seconds and 210 seconds. The majority of the evacuees returned to the disturbed food area within a few minutes of evacuation in both dry and wet sand conditions. The ANOVA revealed that a significantly higher percentage of disturbed termites evacuated from the food chamber in wet sand (44%) compared to the dry sand (36%) arenas. In the majority of the replicates workers were first to respond by evacuating the disturbed area. Our experiments suggest that C. formosanus is highly unlikely to abandon bait stations for a long time as a result of mechanical disturbances.