Field Notes: Western Subterranean Termites (Patreon)

Hi Deep Peeps! 🕳️👀Western subterranean termites are flying your way next week in our next Deep Look video on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Each year, western subterranean termite colonies send up winged termites called alates (seen in the photo above) to find a mate and start their own colonies. In California, alates push through the softened earth on a warm, calm day after the first big rain that ends the dry summer.

Last year, that day was October 22 in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area. To figure out the exact day on which we would need to film the emergence, the Deep Look team relied on the expertise of University of California Cooperative Extension entomologists Andrew Sutherland and Casey Hubble. That afternoon, we headed out to film flying termites in Richmond, east of San Francisco.

An ant carries away a winged termite. (Credit: Mike Seely/KQED)

Ants, birds and spiders all feast on termites when they emerge. Our cinematographer Mike Seely had to get his whole body flat to the ground and use a probe lens in order to capture all the action up close of an ant carrying away a winged termite.

Mike Seely films subterranean termites in Richmond, California. (Credit: Gabriela Quirós/KQED)

“Right after the alates fly around and find a mate, their wings fall off,” says producer Gabriela Quirós. “Then the male runs really quickly behind the female before they dig into the earth to start a new colony. To film this, Mike had to inchworm belly down on the ground.”

                                                        A male subterranean termite runs behind a female. (Credit: Mike Seely)

“Yeah, you could say I had to get really grounded to film this episode!” jokes Seely.

🐜Have YOU had an encounter with termites?? Share your stories in the comments.⬇️

We hope you’ll enjoy watching an incredible tale of survival, a little romance and plain old hard work. This episode premieres next Tuesday, February 1, but Patreon supporters will get a sneak peek this Friday 1/28!