Zootermopsis angusticollis, the Pacific Dampwood Termites are among the largest termites in North America. They thrive in moist, fallen logs on the forest floor in the Pacific Northwest …. and now on your tabletop in the Termitat®. We hope this opportunity to explore the story of the termite will educate and inspire passion for the preservation of the natural world.
There are over 2750 different species of termites in the world, and 50 of those are found in North America. The largest, the Pacific Dampwood Termite, Zootermopsis angusticollis, is used in the Termitat. The Dampwood termite is not one of the subterranean or drywood termites which together account for almost all of the damage to wood structures in North America. Even though the Dampwoods have some “misbehaving” relatives, it’s time to take a deeper second look to discover more about these fascinating wonders of the insect world.
There are amazing stories to discover among the millions of plants and animals on this planet. One of the most incredible is the tale of the termites. Often ignored due to their unfortunate misrepresentation as just a “pest,” these complex and evolved insects are incredibly fascinating to observe and have important lessons to teach us. Termites and humans are both highly social species, but unlike us, termites have remained in balance with the Earth’s complex ecosystems.
Besides being just fascinating to watch, they have many lessons to pass on. As scientists, architects and even robotics engineers study these amazing creatures, they are discovering how sophisticated termite adaptations are and the instrumental part these insects play in Earth’s ecology. Termites are the 200 million year old master recyclers of the Earth’s carbon who also share a social behavior system similar to ours. Those are pretty good tricks by any standard.