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Jul. 20, 2009 10:09 AM

Subterranean termite colonies grow and expand their foraging territories (below ground) during summer and other seasons of the year. As foraging "boundaries" become indistinct, worker termites from adjacent colonies may intermingle at common food sites. This meeting may occur in natural areas or in urban neighborhoods, where it is likely to have more than one termite colony infesting a house (at one time or different times, particularly in high termite areas like the Southeast).

At these common feeding locations, there are varying degrees of "getting along" between workers of different colonies. Unlike wasps and ants, subterranean termites tend not to distinguish or be upset by nestmates and non-nestmates mingling at their food sites. The soldiers in these colonies are often found attacking natural predators (typically ants), and not termites from other colonies.