Paraiso & Canal Zone Towns
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GAMES Gorila Baté A game that was played with a tennis ball and a stick. The field was set up in reverse since the fence was much higher and presented a challenge to hit a home run. We will first bid for the positions we wanted to play. The rules were almost similar to baseball in most aspects. Wacho A game that could only be played after the rain because it had to do with throwing a piece of stick into the ground. Someone else would try and hit your stick but their stick had to be also stuck in the ground while touching yours. Touching Iron You did not have to touch a real iron. We played this game with lampposts. Someone threw a piece of paper for instance into the air and everyone else would attempt to catch it but if you missed it then everyone will beat you down. Chevy Chase This game was played at night where one member from each opposing team will guard a post. Other members will be out there looking for someone that's not on their team and beat them up if they did not yet touch their post. Penitencia We will all hold hands in a group and try and guess a certain song or saying or whatever and if you got it wrong you were punished. Prince Of Peace This game was a game on how you followed up on what the first person said. It was introduced by saying "The Prince Of Peace has lost his cap and don't know where to find it. The Price of piece said..." and then you had to blame someone for what the Prince said and when your name was called you will blame someone else and if you did not word it right you will get punished for it. Marble A game played with marbles in which you select one that you use to hit the opponents' marble. The object of the game was to let all the marbles go into the hole after hitting them. Jacks We played this game with a small bouncing ball and some iron starry objects. You will bounce the ball and pick up as many jacks as you could then catch the ball before it hit the ground a second time. You had to eventually get down to just one jacks and notify everyone playing that you did. Whoever picked up as many jacks in the least number of tries won. But if you missed the ball you will give up your turn to someone else. Top We used a sort of circular object with a point that we spinned using a string. Once you spinned the object [the top] in the air, you will catch it in the palm of your hand. You will then keep the top spinning and balance it to the ground in order to hit a soda cap that was specially designed for the game. The top will then hit the soda cap and it will advance. If your soda cap went the farthest, then you won. Chipón For this game we used a very small sand bag that you had to keep up in the air while hitting it with your feet. Whoever kept it up the longest won. This was mostly a girl's game. Lata We used a soda can that was tossed in the street where one person would run and pick it up while everyone else ran to hide. If the person guarding the can saw you he will say "One two three come out! . If you can get to the person before they call you out you can fight them for the can and if you get it you will hit it on the floor and say lata! Slow Ball A game played similar to hard ball or fast ball but the ball was bigger and it was pitched underhand instead of over like they pitch in hard ball games. Hop Scotch Jumping over squares that were drawn in the streets. Jumping Rope Similar to "Double Dutch" but we always only used one rope. Dominoes Unlike the domino game played in the U.S., this one required much thinking because you had to guess what your opponents had in their hands. This game was played as a team. Two against two. Raya Everyone will hold hands and one person will pass a signal by squeezing someone's hands and if someone that had the signal did not pass it, they had to drop out of the game. FOODS Mango These tropical fruits come in a variety of flavors and sizes and are very prominent during the rain season. They grew just about everywhere and we will pick them ripe or half ripe (turn). If they are half ripe you could eat them with vinegar, black pepper and salt. When they got ripe you could eat them without the condiments. Some of the skins you can eat while others did not have such a good taste. We sometimes will freeze the ripe ones and eat them later. We also made mango juice combined with other types of juices or even beverages. Star Apple This was a violet fruit that was white on the inside and had an acid taste. You simply picked them and eat them. Cashew This was a fruit that you could eat right off the tree but the nut that grew on top of it had to be roasted first. Piva This is a rich tasting fruit that you boiled in salt water for about 30 to 45 minutes and then once it's cooled off you will eat it. Plantain Similar in looks to the banana but they grew larger and had to be fried before you could eat them. We prepared them with gungu peas and rice with chicken as well as other combinations of foods. Fig Banana Similar to the banana but instead of growing to the size of a banana or a plantain they were really small. They were fried like the plantain. Sower Sap This was a green fruit but white inside. You ate what was inside but threw away the skin. Senna Leaves Long green leaves that grew in the back of our houses and my mother will prepare them like a tea with milk as a body cleanser. Mint Tea I used to love this tea. It was a herbal tea that you could grow in your own garden. Gungu Peas or pigeon peas is a small green pea that was taken out of their shells and cooked with rice to add flavor. Yucca or Cassava is a legume with a hard brown outer shell that you peeled off and then cooked. It was used in soup. Sometimes fried or baked to make yucca or cassava pone. Ojaldres This was actually white flour that was cooked in much oil and with other ingredients to add flavor. They would swell as they were fried. Dumplin This is another flour product that was kneaded into small lumps and were added to soup. PLACES Up The Road (as it was called by the ghost town and other people living on that side of town) we had a community with a Youth Center, a theater, barber shop, nurse clinic, clubhouse, commissary, credit union, post office and gas station. The Youth Center Now known as The Civic Center, was a place where kids would hang out and get into all sorts of activities like pinball, pool, dominoes, music, dance and more. Theater We had a small theater located next to the Youth Center and everyone had their favourite spot they would sit and watch the movies. If we did not have any money to get in the theater, we would go down to the side and peep through a window opening. Nurse Clinic The clinic was located midway between the commissary and the Youth Center. Post Office Was provided for the Canal Zone employees. Entrance A route you will take to get from Paraiso to Pedro Miguel or vice versa. There were many mango trees there. You could also see the Canal and the ships. The train that went from The Pacific to The Atlantic and back would also pass through here. There was also a Catholic Church in that area. Curtina Was a river located in the woods on the other side of the train tracks where we went swimming. Rapids Is another river where we went swimming also on the other side of the train tracks. Soldier's Hill Pronounce Soja Hill by Zonians was located on the other side of the train tracks and the military tanks used to go up there for shooting practice. I do not know the elevation level of this hill but as kids it sure seemed very high to us. Lollipop Hill Was a cul-de-sac that was located in the "up the road community". Lake View Was a place past Pedro Miguel where you could go and play golf. They also held many weekend parties there. Club 50 was one of the most popular party clubs then. I also understand that the zone community starting from The Elementary School to just before getting to the commissary was called The Lake View area. And that Lake View was the name of one of the communities that ran alongside the Panama Canal starting from The Elementary School area on up to the Commissary. PLANTS Macca was an interesting plant. These appeared to be sleeping at night as they will close but in the morning they will open up. They had really sharp edges and if you came in contact with them they could cause abrasions on your skin. INSECTS Nanny ant lion n (1815) : any of various neuropterous insects (as of the genus Myrmeleon) having a long-jawed larva that digs a conical pit in which it lies in wait to catch insects (as ants) on which it feeds. The antlion gets its name because it is a voracious predator of ants and other insects. Actually, it's only the antlion larvae that is a predator. They capture ants and other crawling insects which accidentally fall into their circular pits. These pits are usually 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter and about the same depth. The antlion larva, or doodlebug, waits at the bottom for an ant or other insect to slip on the loose sand and fall in. As soon as they do, the antlion has its next meal. In the process of making their pits, antlion larvae create spiral-shaped trails in the sand. These trails are why they get the nickname "doodlebug", because it looks like someone has been doodling in the sand! The pits are usually found in dry places like under shelter of farm buildings. Some species hide under bits of debris or wood and attack passing insects. Antlions are a family of insects given the zoological classification Myrmeleontidae. This insect was known to us as "Nanny". Thanks Lesley for the name Ant Lion and Doodle Bug. Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mosquito The mosquito goes through four separate and distinct stages of its life cycle: Egg, Larva, Pupa, and Adult. Each of these stages can be easily recognized by their special appearance. Egg : Eggs are laid one at a time and they float on the surface of the water. In the case of Culex and Culiseta species, the eggs are stuck together in rafts of a hundred or more eggs. Anopheles and Aedes species do not make egg rafts but lay their eggs separately. Culex, Culiseta, and Anopheles lay their eggs on water while Aedes lay their eggs on damp soil that will be flooded by water. Most eggs hatch into larvae within 48 hours. Larva : The larva (larvae - plural) live in the water and come to the surface to breathe. They shed (molt) their skin four times, growing larger after each molting. Most larvae have siphon tubes for breathing and hang from the water surface. Anopheles larvae do not have a siphon and lay parallel to the water surface to get a supply of oxygen through a breathing opening. The larvae feed on micro-organisms and organic matter in the water. On the fourth molt the larva changes into a pupa. Pupa: The pupal stage is a resting, non-feeding stage. This is the time the mosquito turns into an adult. It takes about two days before the adult is fully developed. When development is complete, the pupal skin splits and the mosquito emerges as an adult. Adult: The newly emerged adult rests on the surface of the water for a short time to allow itself to dry and all its body parts to harden. The wings have to spread out and dry properly before it can fly. The egg, larvae and pupae stages depend on temperature and species characteristics as to how long they take for development. For instance, Culex tarsalis , a common California, USA mosquito, might go through its life cycle in 14 days at 70 F and take only 10 days at 80 F. Also, some species have naturally adapted to go through their entire life cycle in as little as four days or as long as one month. Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ants Are normally from 2 to 7 mm long, although carpenter ants can stretch to 2 cm, or almost an inch! Ants can be brown, black or red and can have wings or be wingless. They have narrow waists and elbowed antennae. Ant colonies consist of males, females and workers. When a colony begins to grow too large, winged male and female ants leave the colony, mate in flight and then search for a new nesting site, usually in soil, under concrete, or in rotting stumps and wood. Once they find a good site for their new home, they shed their wings and the male soon dies. When the nest has been established, the "queen" lays eggs that hatch into grubs, that pupate into wingless workers. ( Ants go through complete metamorphosis - egg, larva, pupa and adult ) These workers care for the new eggs produced by the queen. Incubation, or hatching of the eggs, lasts from 10 days to several months depending on temperature. Larger ants, called soldiers, are produced for defense and usually have large strong jaws used to protect the colony. Once well established, colonies will produce winged male and female ants that swarm out of the nest, fly away to mate, and the process starts all over again. When food is plentiful some females will return to the original colony thus expanding it rapidly. One of the main jobs of ants is to look for food. They are scavengers and are one of nature's best clean up crews. Believe it or not, ants are responsible for "cleaning up" much of the environment all around the world. When creatures die, ants will pick at whatever remains until all the edible parts are gone. Once food is found, an ant lays down a scent as it returns to the nest. Other ants will pick up this scent and follow the trail to the food. Some ants actually care for and "farm" other insects! Aphids, scale insects and mealybugs suck the sap of plants. These insects can't use all the sugar that they get from the plants, so they excrete "honeydew", which the ants collect to feed the colony. Ants will transport aphids from plant to plant and take the eggs into their colony for the winter. Ants will also defend aphids from insect predators, such as lady beetles and lacewings, by attacking them in large numbers. Carpenter ants are black or reddish black with large jaws and are among the largest ants. They prefer moist, softer wood that has begun to decay but may also attack newly built structures. Carpenter ants do not eat wood, they simply dig it out to create a nesting place. Piles of sawdust that are produced often contain parts of ant bodies. Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crickets are a group of insects related to grasshoppers and katydids. You can identify them from their long antennae (as long as their body or longer) and their large back legs, which they use for jumping or hopping. Song of a cricket... The song of the field cricket is temperature dependent; the tone and tempo drop with the drop in temperature. Count the chirps in 13 seconds, add 40, and you will have the approximate temperature in degrees. The field crickets are usually black in color, 1/2 to 1-1/4 inches long, and more robust than the house cricket. The rear wings are projected back beyond the front wings like pointed tails. Many of the species can only be separated on the basis of their song. They are the most common cricket found in pastures and meadows. The field crickets are, at times, very damaging to field crops, especially alfalfa, wheat, oats or rye. In the Gulf states they may damage tomatoes, peas, beans or strawberries. They also consume dead or weakened crickets, grasshoppers, cutworms and other insects. When these crickets invade the home, they may attack textiles of cotton, linen, wool and silk, as well as furs. Clothing, if stained with perspiration, greasy foods, milk or syrup is liable to injury. Life History. Typically there is one generation a year, but in the southern areas there may be three generations per year. Crickets that spend the winter in the egg stage usually hatch in May, though temperature and rainfall affect the time of hatching. They become adults in July and August, mate, and usually die in September, although some may live until the first frost. Two weeks after becoming an adult, the female may intermittently lay eggs for two months or longer, until death . The eggs are deposited in the soil at depths of from 1/4 to 1 inch. Fifty or more eggs may be laid in an area covering not more than 2 square inches. The eggs are laid singly with no protective secretion. The number of eggs laid range from 150 to 400. The newly emerged cricket can walk, run and jump immediately after hatching. It passes through eight to 10 nymph stages, called instars, before becoming an adult. The females usually have nine stages, the males eight. Thus, the females become adults later than the males. The crickets mature in 78 to 90 days, although the range may be from 65 to 102 days. Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- American Cockroach Blattaria: Blattidae, Periplaneta americana SIZE: American cockroach adults are 1 and 1/2 inches long (38mm) COLOR: American cockroaches are reddish brown and have a yellowish margin on the body region behind the head. DESCRIPTION: When disturbed, may run rapidly and adults may fly. Immature cockroaches resemble adults except that they are wingless. HABITAT: American cockroaches generally live in moist areas, but can survive in dry areas if they have access to water. They prefer warm temperatures around 84 degrees Fahrenheit and do not tolerate cold temperatures. In residential areas, these cockroaches live in basements and sewers, and may move outdoors into yards during warm weather. These cockroaches are common in basements, crawl spaces, cracks and crevices of porches, foundations, and walkways adjacent to buildings. They feed on a wide variety of plant and animal material. LIFE CYCLE: Females produce egg cases and carry them protruding from the tip of the abdomen for about two days. Egg cases are then generally placed on a surface in a hidden location. Egg cases are 3/8 inch long, brown, and purse shaped. Immature cockroaches emerge from egg cases in 6 to 8 weeks and require 6 to 12 months to mature. Adult cockroaches can live up to one year, during which females produce an average of 150 young. INTERESTING FACTS: American cockroaches are the largest of the common roaches. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grasshopper There are 18,000 kinds of grasshoppers in the world. The grasshopper can live in all kinds of habitats. The colors of the painted grasshopper warn birds not to eat them. Painted grasshoppers hatch in May or June. The Painted Grasshopper is yellow, black, orange and white. The painted grasshopper lives in the western part of the United States. The longest grasshopper is eleven cm long. Grasshoppers are herbivores. Grasshoppers go through incomplete metamorphosis. Grasshoppers have no ears. They hear with an organ called tympanum. Most types of grasshoppers have two pairs of wings. Grasshoppers have five eyes. When the female lays her eggs, she covers them with a paste-like liquid that will protect them during the winter. Nymphs grow for 40 to 60 days before they become adults. Some grasshoppers rub their wings together to create music, others snap their wings together while flying, and others just rub their hind legs across their front wings. More Grasshopper Facts A Grasshopper is an amazing insect that can leap 20 times the length of its own body. If you or I could do that, we would be able to jump almost 40 yards! While I wouldn't have a problem with being able to jump so far, I think landing would be a problem. Grasshoppers can be found almost everywhere in the world, except for the colder regions near the North and South poles. They live in fields, meadows, and just about anywhere they can find generous amounts of leaves to eat. Some types of grasshoppers will only eat certain types of plants. Others will eat any type of plant they can find. Grasshoppers can destroy entire crops of alfalfa, clover, cotton, corn and other grains, causing millions of dollars in crop damages every year. When a grasshopper is picked up, they "spit" a brown liquid which is known by most kids and adults as "tobacco juice".(Maybe they someday hope to join a baseball team). Some scientists believe that this liquid may protect grasshoppers from attacks by insects such as ants. Grasshoppers will try to escape from their enemies by jumping up and flying away, or by hiding among leaves or the grass. If you have ever tried to catch grasshoppers in a field, you know how quickly they can disappear by dropping down into the tall grass. The grasshoppers greatest enemies include various kinds of flies that lay their eggs in or near grasshopper eggs. After the fly eggs hatch, the newborn flies eat the grasshopper eggs. Some flies will even lay their eggs on the grasshopper's body, even while the grasshopper is flying. The newborn flies then eat the grasshopper. Other enemies of grasshoppers include beetles, birds, mice, snakes, and spiders. Another dangerous enemy of the grasshopper is the shoe. The shoe comes in various shapes and sizes, but all are equally dangerous to the grasshopper. Just ask any grasshopper that has been stepped on by one! There are two main groups of grasshoppers: (1) long-horned grasshoppers and (2) short-horned grasshoppers. They are divided according to the length of their antennae (feelers), which are also called horns. Short-horned grasshoppers are usually called locusts. Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Praying Mantis He's a sneaky hunter, waiting patiently for his prey to come within reach. then ZAP!!!! Fast as lightning, he grabs the crickets with his spiny front legs, then calmly munches away. Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dragon Fly The dragonfly begins its life as an egg. Adult female dragonflies lay their eggs in water. After about two weeks, the eggs hatch and an immature dragonfly, or nymph, emerges. The nymphs are not pretty like the adults. They have tiny wings and a large lower lip, which they use to catch their prey (often mosquito larvae). Dragonfly nymphs live in the water. As they grow, they molt (shed their skin). Nymphs of some species may take as long as three years to mature. Dragonflies are sometimes called "mosquito hawk" because they catch and eat so many mosquitoes. Always on the hunt, dragonflies consume gnats, flies, and mosquitoes--all of which humans consider pests. When the dragonfly nymph reaches maturity, it crawls out of the water onto a plant stem. Then its skin begins to split. First the head, then the thorax, then the legs, and then the wings of an adult dragonfly emerge. Soon the newly emerged dragonfly is able to fly. The process takes about two hours. It takes about two days before the adult dragonfly's beautiful colors are fully developed. Adult dragonflies live only a few months. Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bumble Bee (Bombidae) leave their nest in the autumn, and the fertilized queens hibernate in some protected place during the winter. In the spring each queen builds a nest of moss or grass, preferably in a deserted rodent nest. From scales secreted by abdominal glands, she makes a honeypot of wax and then makes a cell and half fills it with pollen before depositing her eggs in it. The queen covers the eggs with a layer of wax and sits on them like a brooding hen, sipping honey from her pot. After the larvae hatch, they eat the pollen and grow, then spin cocoons in which to pupate. When the workers emerge, they cut away the upper half of the cells, and the remainder is used as a receptacle for nectar. Bumblebee populations vary from year to year, depending on environmental factors; but one typical nest collected in Wisconsin contained one queen, 515 adult workers, 117 worker and 119 queen pupae, 101 larvae, 308 eggs contained in 18 cells on cylinders of pollen, and 709 empty worker cells filled with honey. The larger workers maintain the covering over the nest and collect food, and the smaller ones care for the young larvae and do the inside work. Only males are produced late in the summer, and female larvae literally may be thrown out to control the population. When workers lay eggs, the queen may chase the workers away and eat the eggs; but if the queen dies or is removed, one of the larger workers will take her place within four hours or less. The difference in size of workers depends upon the amount of food they have available to eat when they are larvae. Bumblebees are superior to other bees in pollinating red clover, since they have a tongue that is 2.5 mm (0.1 in) longer than that of honeybees. Artificial methods of rearing bumblebees have been successful, but a better technique may be to encourage natural populations by providing forage plants that bloom eight to nine weeks prior to red clover, so that the colonies have abundant food on which to raise their young. Hymenoptera, Apidae SIZE: 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches (19.1-38mm) COLOR: Generally black and yellow DESCRIPTION: Bumble bees are large, hairy bees that collect and carry pollen on their hind legs to bring it back to the hive. HABITAT: Often encountered foraging at flowers. Some species choose nesting places around people's houses. Wooden storage sheds and small barns, which may also house small rodents, are a favorite nesting place of bumble bees. LIFE CYCLE: Their colonies are a spectacular example of social organization, with each member working tirelessly to protect and build the colony. TYPE OF DAMAGE: Bumble bees are beneficial insects, performing unexcelled pollinating services for such crops as red clover and blueberries. Many species, normally docile and unaggressive while foraging on flowers, turn vicious when their nests are disturbed, chasing intruders for many yards away from the nest. CONTROL: Control is usually not recommended. But if desired, it would be best to find and destroy the nest. Individual bumble bees that get into the house can be controlled with an aerosol. INTERESTING FACTS: Bumble bees are common and inconspicuous insects; yet most people have never seen the fascinating bustle of activity in the nest of the bumble bee. Inside the nest, a colony of these social insects may number 200 or more. Members engage in most of the activities of a human society-gathering food, caring for offspring, constructing a home, defending it, and regulating the environment inside it. Bumble bees have very few natural enemies, skunks being one of the few animals that find bumble bees tasty, sting and all.--> Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Honey Bee The honeybee is a social insect living in large colonies of from 20,000 to 80,000 individuals. There are five species of honeybees known: Apis mellifera (common honeybee); Apis dorsata (giant honeybee); Apis laboriosa (giant honeybee); Apis cerana (Indian honeybee) and Apis florea (dwarf honeybee). The common honeybee is found worldwide and consists of a number of races or subspecies. There are four subspecies of the common honeybee occurring in Europe, three oriental subspecies and 12 African subspecies. These races vary in their nature. Italian bees are generally gentle creatures, whereas German bees are agressive. However, it should be noted that even the normally gentle Italian bee, when provoked, will try to sting you. The weather often affects the temper of bees, and on windy, cloudy days, when they are unable to search for nectar, pollen, etc, they are somewhat angry or frustrated, and they may "take it out" on some innocent passerby. Most people who fear bees, do so because of their painful sting. When the bee stings, the stinger, poison sac and several others parts of the bee's anatomy are torn from the bee's body. It soon dies, a fact that offers little relief to the person who is stung. The action of the sting takes place almost instantaneously. The sting has barbs on it, and if it is not immediately removed, the reflex action of the muscles attached to the sting drive it deeper and deeper into the skin. This gives more time for the discharge of poison from the poison sac. The pain from the sting is increased by the discharge of toxin. Different individuals are affected in different ways by bee stings. Some of the things that cause the differences are the part of the body that is stung, the amount of poison that has entered into the system and the natural immunity of the individual. The actual pain from the bee sting doesn't last long and it is the after effects - the swelling and itching - that are the most disturbing. Some individuals are naturally immune and do not swell, while others are so badly affected by bee sting they may be confined to bed for a number of days. In some instances, the sting of a bee may result in red blotches on the skin, nausea, fainting and even death! The stinger of a bee, as was previously mentioned, has barbs on it, and thus remains in the skin. At times, complications may result from the sting being embedded in the skin. For this reason, an effort should be made to remove the entire stinger. Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Termites Subterannean termites, the most common kind, live in the soil, from just below the surface to as much as 12 feet down. Up to two million termites inhabit a colony. These colonies consist of a network of tunnels and chambers built around a King and Queen whose sole job is to reproduce. In fact, in some of the 55 termite species, queens can lay up to 86,000 eggs a day! Often the queen's swollen body can weigh more than a pencil. The rest of the colony is made up of termites who all play specific roles in keeping the colony healthy. Among these termites are the workers. Worker termites keep busy 24 hours a day digesting wood fibers and other forms of cellulose which they eat, digest and share with the other members of the colony. Workers also clean the royal pair, the King and Queen, and carry away the eggs. Termites that are going to become queens are fed special chemicals and food by the workers to make sure that they grow up with wings and the ability to mate and to lay eggs. Most of these termites, often called "reproductives", fly off from the nests in large numbers during the wet part of the year. At this stage they all look very similar, whether they are male (kings) or females (queens) and none of them have swollen abdomens. They fly away from the nest to begin a new colony in another place. If they are successful, they meet a mate and dig into the soil. Once there, they begin to form a new colony. It is only when the king and queen are safely together in the nest, that the queen begins to grow and produce the eggs to start a new colony.There's really no such thing as a standard "termite queen". It is true however, that some termite queens are very large (up to 3-4 inches in length and about an inch in diameter), and some lay a lot of eggs in a very short time. In laboratory experiments some species have been shown to lay an egg a second, and so could theoretically lay over 30 million eggs a year! This sort of termite can lay such a large number of eggs for a number of reasons. First, because she is able to grow massively in size so that her ovaries fill almost her whole body. Second, because she is constantly cared for by worker termites, and often has a special chamber (the "queen cell") in the center of the nest where she can sit, which is kept at a constant temperature and humidity and away from danger. Third, because the queen does nothing else except lay eggs and, in any case, is usually too large and bloated to move. This means that if there is any danger the workers have to move the queen themselves, and this does happen sometimes, when ants attack the queen cell, and the workers try to drag the queen to safety. Queens make a very nutritious meal for ants and, in some parts of the world, humans love to eat them too! Yuck!!! Worker termites are rarely seen because they stay deep within the colony. But in the spring or fall, "winged reproductives" may be noticed swarming around the outside of the colony. This form of termite can be easily confused with a winged ant. Winged termites are usually only 1/8" or so in length and have straight antennae and no "waistline". Their wings are longer and of equal length. Ants are often several times larger. They have elbowed antennae and three distinct body segments, with very slim waists. Their front wings are much longer than the back ones. Termites break off their wings and ants do not. Although termites are beneficial insects in nature by breaking down dead wood and returning nutrients to the soil, they cause nearly one billion dollars of damage to structures each year. That's more damage than all fires, storms, and earthquakes combined! Termites don't try to destroy things, they just naturally eat dead wood and happen to be particularly good at it. Most of the time this is a good thing, because it helps to make sure that dead trees don't just end up piling up on top of each other over the years. Courtesy of Koday's Kids Amazing Insects! http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/
