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Jun. 22, 2009 11:14 AM

Now that the first day of summer has officially come and gone (June 21), the activity inside a subterranean termite colony is beginning to settle down to the hum-drum events of foraging and eating. Past is most of the frantic activity associated with releasing the swarmers - selecting the right days (after a rain, limited wind and optimal humidity), the best time of day, how many to "launch" at a time, and how many launches will be needed to get them all out. Of course, all those males and females had to be fed before they left (no lunch pails outside the colony).

Finished are the days (and nights) of soaking springtime rain. This moisture created all sorts of problems inside the colony, especially if parts of the colony were flooded. Seasonal conditions resulted in the death of many workers, and now the workforce is smaller. But the secondary queens kicked in with plenty of egg production and the number of workers now is increasing. The weather also is more predictable. The upper layer of soil is warm and moist, and there is plenty of food to be found. Life is good.