Can you keep termites as pets?
This is actually for an elaborate art project I hope to be doing, although I suppose its rather far fetched. I plan on giving them everything they need to live healthy lives...
I'm wondering if it is possible for me to "grow" my own termite mound inside of a large plexiglass tank (or some similar structure) by transposing a termite queen along with workers and soldier termites.
Obviously they would need fresh air, water, and food.
I suppose I would have to do this outdoors but I was really hoping that I could somehow do it in a gallery setting in a ventilated tank.
The idea is that I build my own sculpture made of wood and mud and whatever else they need to feed off of, and then allow them to dismantle it in order to build their own elaborate castle. I'm not talking about them living inside my sculpture but rather tearing it apart to build their own home. Would they do this?
One problem I already foresee is that many of these termite mounds are just as large underground as they are above ground, so I might need to do it outside. But I was thinking that maybe if there was just very shallow dirt for them to get started in then they would just build straight up rather than down?
Obviously I have a lot more research to do, but if anyone who is fairly knowledgeable about the subject could give me some tips or reasons as to why this would or wouldn't work I would be very grateful.
Comments
To start with, you could raise some drywood or dampwood termites (dry in the tropics, damp in the cold zones) as these are easy to collect and fairly simple to keep. That way you can learn about termites.
If you look at pine beetle killed trees that get attacked by hundreds of pairs of dampwoods, you can see that your model idea might work. They just won't leave much to see. If you do the same with drywoods, they'll eat it inside out and drop thousands of pellets as they do. It is close to flight season. You could put out large bits of wood (or your model) now to get them to make a start. Then you wait three or more years for things to show . . .
Yes you could but it has to closed so they can't get out and proper air quality and temp must be achieved I am an exterminator I mostly kill sub terrianian termites but I have kept a colony alive for a long time I use them to test the chemicals
Just do it like an aunt farm but they eat wood not sweets. Give the all kinds of wood