Studies on the foraging of subterranean termites (Isoptera)

To study the foraging galleries of subterranean termites in soil, early res earchers painstakingly excavated underground tunneling system of these cryp tic insects. These studies enabled the visualization of the underground gal lery system of subterranean termites, but the destructive sampling methods also rendered the field colonies useless for further studies. Indirect samp ling techniques such as monitoring and trapping systems developed in the ea rly 1970s provided unprecedented access to underground populations of subte rranean termites. Monitoring stations derived from these techniques were ad opted for termite population studies, and were used as access port or entry portal for applying control agents such as microbes or bait toxicants. The y were also used to study populations of subterranean termites in different environments, and were essential in the development of baits for populatio n control of subterranean termites.