Termites & Indian Natural Buildings

Types and kinds:

There are more than 3000 species of termites which fall broadly in three categories: subterranean, damp wood and dry wood termites. One lives inside the soil making monumental mounds, while the other two live and feast on wood. The colony comprises of the queen, king, soldiers, and workers. Led without a leader, together they make sure their empire functions efficiently, going about responsibly carrying on their assigned tasks.

Why do termites exist anyway?

They have been around for over 250 million years, so the answer cannot be just to disrupt human creations. Perhaps our homes and crops happen to fall in their habitat, and our rampant construction and cultivation is something that needs to be checked! These detritivores are responsible for decomposing most of the dead matter in a forest. They make tunnels and tubes in order to stay protected while foraging food, in the process making the soil porous and allowing water percolation. Termites are revered in cultures that understood their values. Presence of termite mounds indicate presence of groundwater and mineral deposits. These natures’ recyclers enrich the soil and improve crop yield.

The secret lives of termites:

Inside the termite gut, there is a whole ecosystem of microbes that are capable of breaking down the most complex dead matter. Termites feast on the cellulose and have a huge insatiable appetite, chewing 24 hours in a day! What goes on inside the termite gut, is a rich research topic and may hold an answer to finding renewable energy solutions. They are undoubtedly one of the most sustainable creatures, consuming and transforming everything dead helping our planet bite by bite.

The mud castles:

The subterranean termites create citadels of literally epic proportions. Made with soil, cellulose, saliva and feces these are rather tough to break into. They have an intricate system of ventilation to regulate temperature and humidity for them to survive and carry on their work. The mound material is of great value. It can be used effectively in our mud for building, and has applications in medicine as well. The mound is in itself a self-sustaining town with systems designed for water storage, breeding chambers, farming and air conditioning.

How to keep termites away from your natural building:

The first step would be thorough inspection of the site to be built on, for any signs of termites. They thrive well in moist conditions, a damp home is a termite’s preferred dwelling. The simplest solution for termite prevention would be to keep moisture and leaks in check. Having done that one step further would be to access possible termite food and treat them before using in your natural building. It is essential to take measures to prevent termite attack to prevent the loss of precious resources, below are a few methods.

For wooden members, using naturally termite resistant wood like teak, neem, (old salvaged wood is recommended) etc. can greatly reduce the risk. Also coating with oils like cashews shell oil, makes an impenetrable layer guarding the valuable wood. Some herbal solutions which repel the termites can be mixed into the mud while making walls, also poured into the foundation. Termites do not like lime, using lime stabilized construction techniques will also give added strength and keep termites away. In case of termite infestation, neem oil diluted in water and sprayed regularly will help reduce termites. Using thatching material like vetiver, which is a natural termite repellent is a good example of using materials to our advantage. There are a number of ways to make sure that termites don’t harm us, with proper planning, execution and care we can co-exist peacefully.

Recipes for some natural solutions:

In nature, some herbs and plants repel pests because of their chemical compositions, which give them antifeedant, growth and reproductive inhibiting properties.  Using toxic synthetic solutions against pests is not only highly poisonous but also causes immense damage to our environment where the residue gets into the food chain and also hampers the natural cycles.

When nature offers solutions, we better take heed! Over time people found natural ways to deal with termite control by relentless trials and experiments. . The idea behind this is to first identify the herbs. Generally, the plants that are avoided by the cattle, have bitter or sour tasting leaves or have milky saps are found to have termite repellent properties.