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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Groovin Old Hippie on October 21, 2015, 05:48:52 PM

Title: Are these termites?!?
Post by: Groovin Old Hippie on October 21, 2015, 05:48:52 PM

I just found four little mounds of dirt with a hole in the middle. The mound is a little bigger than a quarter and the hole is about the size of a pencil. They are all right at the edge of stepping stones. Termites? Ants? Ground bees? Any info is greatly appreciated.

Title: Re: Are these termites?!?
Post by: geekette on October 21, 2015, 06:24:23 PM

Not termites; they build mud tunnels and don't generally exit from the ground.  Plus they'd be by some wood, not stones.

Too big, IMHO, for ants.

Possibly ground bees - https://entomology.cals.cornell.edu/extension/wild-pollinators/native-bees-your-backyard

Title: Re: Are these termites?!?
Post by: bauhauss on October 21, 2015, 06:46:46 PM

By the residues I guess so. I don't know the kind of termites there are where you live, but here in Brazil there are termites and leafcutter ants whose "home" looks like this picture. Oh yes, and there are termites who lives in ground.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafcutter_ant
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupinzeiro