Editing Termite (section)

== Relationship with humans ==

=== As pests ===
[[File:Termite mound on runway at Khorixas (2018).jpg|thumb|Termite mound as an obstacle on a runway at [[Khorixas]] ([[Namibia]])]]
[[File:Termite damage.JPG|thumb|200px|left|Termite damage on external structure]]
Owing to their wood-eating habits, many termite species can do significant damage to unprotected buildings and other wooden structures.<ref name=pests2000/> Termites play an important role as decomposers of wood and vegetative material, and the conflict with humans occurs where structures and landscapes containing structural wood components, cellulose derived structural materials and ornamental vegetation provide termites with a reliable source of food and moisture.<ref>{{cite book|last=Thorne, Ph.D|first=Barbara L. |date=1999 |title=NPMA Research Report On Subterranean Termites |location=Dunn Loring, VA |publisher=NPMA|page=22|url=https://entomology.umd.edu/thorne-barbara-l.html}}</ref> Their habit of remaining concealed often results in their presence being undetected until the timbers are severely damaged, with only a thin exterior layer of wood remaining, which protects them from the environment.<ref>{{cite web|title=Termites|url=http://www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumer-resources/building/pages/termites|work=Victorian Building Authority|publisher=Government of Victoria|access-date=20 September 2015|date=2014|archive-date=3 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180203051240/http://www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumer-resources/building/pages/termites|url-status=dead}}</ref> Of the 3,106 species known, only 183 species cause damage; 83 species cause significant damage to wooden structures.<ref name=pests2000>{{cite book|last1=Su|first1=N.Y.|last2=Scheffrahn|first2=R.H.|title=''Termites as Pests of Buildings'' in Termites: Evolution, Sociality, Symbioses, Ecology|date=2000|publisher=Springer Netherlands|doi=10.1007/978-94-017-3223-9_20|isbn=978-94-017-3223-9|pages=437–453}}</ref> In North America, 18 subterranean species are pests;<ref>{{cite book|last=Thorne, Ph.D|first=Barbara L. |date=1999 |title=NPMA Research Report On Subterranean Termites |location=Dunn Loring, VA |publisher=NPMA|page=2|url=https://entomology.umd.edu/thorne-barbara-l.html}}</ref> in Australia, 16 species have an economic impact; in the Indian subcontinent 26 species are considered pests, and in tropical Africa, 24. In Central America and the West Indies, there are 17 pest species.<ref name=pests2000/> Among the termite genera, ''Coptotermes'' has the highest number of pest species of any genus, with 28 species known to cause damage.<ref name=pests2000/> Less than 10% of drywood termites are pests, but they infect wooden structures and furniture in tropical, subtropical and other regions. Dampwood termites only attack lumber material exposed to rainfall or soil.<ref name=pests2000/>

Drywood termites thrive in warm climates, and human activities can enable them to invade homes since they can be transported through contaminated goods, containers and ships.<ref name=pests2000/> Colonies of termites have been seen thriving in warm buildings located in cold regions.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Grace|first1=J.K.|last2=Cutten|first2=G.M.|last3=Scheffrahn|first3=R.H.|last4=McEkevan|first4=D.K.|title=First infestation by ''Incisitermes minor'' of a Canadian building (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae)|journal=Sociobiology|date=1991|volume=18|pages=299–304}}</ref> Some termites are considered invasive species. ''Cryptotermes brevis'', the most widely introduced invasive termite species in the world, has been introduced to all the islands in the West Indies and to Australia.<ref name=Heather1971/><ref name=pests2000/>

[[File:House stumps eaten by termites.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Termite damage in wooden house stumps]]
In addition to causing damage to buildings, termites can also damage food crops.<ref name=Sands1973>{{cite journal|last1=Sands|first1=W.A.|title=Termites as Pests of Tropical Food Crops|journal=Tropical Pest Management|date=1973|volume=19|issue=2|pages=167–177|doi=10.1080/09670877309412751}}</ref> Termites may attack trees whose resistance to damage is low but generally ignore fast-growing plants. Most attacks occur at harvest time; crops and trees are attacked during the dry season.<ref name=Sands1973/>

In Australia, at a cost of more than {{AUD|1.5 billion}} per year,<ref>[https://www.uts.edu.au/research-and-teaching/our-research/sustainability/our-research/termites-quietly-reveal-their-secrets Termites quietly reveal their secrets] [[University of Technology Sydney]]. Retrieved 3 April 2023.</ref> termites cause more damage to houses than fire, floods and storms combined.<ref>[https://www.vba.vic.gov.au/consumers/guides/termites Termites] Victorian Building Authority. Retrieved 3 April 2023.</ref> In Malaysia, it is estimated that termites caused about RM400 million of damages to properties and buildings.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/property/2021/10/02/a-guide-to-termite-infestations-in-malaysia/|title=A guide to termite infestations in Malaysia &#124; Free Malaysia Today (FMT)|date=2 October 2021 }}</ref> The damage caused by termites costs the southwestern United States approximately $1.5&nbsp;billion each year in wood structure damage, but the true cost of damage worldwide cannot be determined.<ref name=pests2000/><ref name=agricultural2010/> Drywood termites are responsible for a large proportion of the damage caused by termites.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Su|first1=N.Y.|last2=Scheffrahn|first2=R.H.|title=Economically important termites in the United States and their control|journal=Sociobiology|date=1990|volume=17|pages=77–94|url=http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/su_pub/su045_ecotmt.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812214933/http://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/Su_pub/Su045_EcoTMT.pdf|archive-date=2011-08-12}}</ref>  The goal of termite control is to keep structures and susceptible ornamental plants free from termites.;<ref>{{cite book|last=Thorne, Ph.D|first=Barbara L. |date=1999 |title=NPMA Research Report On Subterranean Termites |location=Dunn Loring, VA |publisher=NPMA|page=40|url=https://entomology.umd.edu/thorne-barbara-l.html}}</ref>  Structures may be homes or business, or elements such as wooden fence posts and telephone poles.  Regular and thorough inspections by a trained professional may be necessary to detect termite activity in the absence of more obvious signs like termite swarmers or alates inside or adjacent to a structure.  Termite monitors made of wood or cellulose adjacent to a structure may also provide indication of termite foraging activity where it will be in conflict with humans. Termites can be controlled by application of [[Bordeaux mixture]] or other substances that contain [[copper]] such as [[chromated copper arsenate]].<ref name="cus">{{cite web |last1=Elliott |first1=Sara |title=How can copper keep termites at bay? |url=https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/copper-stop-termites2.htm |publisher=HowStuffWorks |date=26 May 2009}}</ref>  In the United states, application of a soil termiticide with the active ingredient [[Fipronil]], such as Termidor SC or Taurus SC, by a licensed professional,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Questions and Answers About Termites|url=https://www.pestboard.ca.gov/forms/termites.pdf|access-date=19 April 2021|website=Department of Consumer Affairs, Structural Pest Control Board of California}}</ref> is a common remedy approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for economically significant subterranean termites.<ref>{{Cite web|title=EPA Registration and Label for Taurus SC Termiticide|url=https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/053883-00279-20110915.pdf|website=EPA.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=EPA Registration and Label for Termidor SC|url=https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/007969-00210-20041015.pdf|access-date=19 April 2021|website=EPA.gov}}</ref>  A growing demand for alternative, green, and "more natural" extermination methods has increased demand for mechanical and biological control methods such as [[orange oil]].

To better control the population of termites, various methods have been developed to track termite movements.<ref name=agricultural2010>{{cite news|last1=Flores|first1=A.|title=New Assay Helps Track Termites, Other Insects|url=http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2010/100217.htm|access-date=15 January 2015|work=Agricultural Research Service|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|date=17 February 2010}}</ref> One early method involved distributing termite bait laced with [[immunoglobulin G]] (IgG) marker proteins from rabbits or chickens. Termites collected from the field could be tested for the rabbit-IgG markers using a rabbit-IgG-specific [[assay]]. More recently developed, less expensive alternatives include tracking the termites using egg white, cow milk, or soy milk proteins, which can be sprayed on termites in the field. Termites bearing these proteins can be traced using a protein-specific [[ELISA]] test.<ref name=agricultural2010/> [[RNAi]] insecticides specific to termites [[insecticide development|are in development]].<ref name="Assay for RNAi resistance in termites"/> One factor reducing [[investment]] in its [[research and development]] is concern about high potential for [[Pesticide resistance|resistance evolution]].<ref name="Assay for RNAi resistance in termites">{{Cite journal|number=1|volume=43|year=2023|department=Review paper|pages=55–68|last1=Mogilicherla|first1=Kanakachari|last2=Chakraborty|first2=Amrita|last3=Taning|first3=Clauvis Nji Tizi|last4=Smagghe|first4=Guy|last5=Roy|first5=Amit|doi=10.1127/entomologia/2022/1636|title=RNAi in termites (Isoptera): current status and prospects for pest management|journal=Entomologia Generalis |hdl=1854/LU-01H7T2H1DB5XMEKN7APN3SEPYR|url=https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/01H7T2H1DB5XMEKN7APN3SEPYR |hdl-access=free}}</ref>

In 1994, termites, of the species ''[[Reticulitermes]] grassei'', were identified in two bungalows in [[Saunton]], [[Devon]]. Anecdotal evidence suggests the infestation could date back 70 years before the official identification. There are reports that gardeners had seen white ants and that a greenhouse had had to be replaced in the past. The Saunton infestation was the first and only colony ever recorded in the UK. In 1998, Termite Eradication Programme was set-up, with the intention of containing and eradicating the colony. The TEP was managed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (now the [[Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities]].) The TEP used "insect growth regulators" to prevent the termites from reaching maturity and reproducing. In 2021, the UK's Termite Eradication Programme announced the eradication of the colony, the first time a country has eradicated termites.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pidd|first=Helen|date=21 December 2021|title='A world first': Devon calls victory in 27-year war on termites|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/dec/21/a-world-first-devon-calls-victory-in-27-year-war-on-termites|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211221234612/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/dec/21/a-world-first-devon-calls-victory-in-27-year-war-on-termites|archive-date=21 December 2021|access-date=22 December 2021|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref>

===As food===
{{See also|Entomophagy in humans}}
[[File:Collecting Ngumbi.jpg|thumb|Mozambican boys from the Yawo tribe collecting flying termites]]
[[File:Ngumbi.jpg|thumb|These flying alates were collected as they came out of their nests in the ground during the early days of the rainy season.]]
43 termite species are used as food by humans or are fed to livestock.<ref name=greview>{{cite journal|last1=Figueirêdo|first1=R.E.C.R.|last2=Vasconcellos|first2=A.|last3=Policarpo|first3=I.S.|last4=Alves|first4=R.R.N.|title=Edible and medicinal termites: a global overview|journal=Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine|date=2015|volume=11|issue=1|pages=29|doi=10.1186/s13002-015-0016-4|pmid=25925503|pmc=4427943 |doi-access=free }}</ref> These insects are particularly important in impoverished countries where malnutrition is common, as the [[protein]] from termites can help improve the human diet. Termites are consumed in many regions globally, but this practice has only become popular in developed nations in recent years.<ref name=greview/>

Termites are consumed by people in many different cultures around the world. In many parts of Africa, the [[alate]]s are an important factor in the diets of native populations.<ref name=delicacy>{{cite book|last1=Nyakupfuka|first1=A.|title=Global Delicacies: Discover Missing Links from Ancient Hawaiian Teachings to Clean the Plaque of your Soul and Reach Your Higher Self.|date=2013|publisher=BalboaPress|location=Bloomington, Indiana|isbn=978-1-4525-6791-4|pages=40–41}}</ref> Groups have different ways of collecting or cultivating insects; sometimes collecting soldiers from several species. Though harder to acquire, queens are regarded as a delicacy.<ref name=B1951>{{cite book|last1=Bodenheimer|first1=F.S.|title=Insects as Human Food: A Chapter of the Ecology of Man|date=1951|publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer]]|location=[[Netherlands]]|isbn=978-94-017-6159-8|pages=331–350}}</ref> Termite alates are high in nutrition with adequate levels of [[fat]] and protein. They are regarded as pleasant in taste, having a nut-like flavour after they are cooked.<ref name=delicacy/>

Alates are collected when the rainy season begins. During a nuptial flight, they are typically seen around lights to which they are attracted, and so nets are set up on lamps and captured alates are later collected. The wings are removed through a technique that is similar to [[winnowing]]. The best result comes when they are lightly roasted on a hot plate or fried until crisp. [[cooking oil|Oil]] is not required as their bodies usually contain sufficient amounts of oil. Termites are typically eaten when livestock is lean and tribal crops have not yet developed or produced any food, or if food stocks from a previous growing season are limited.<ref name=delicacy/>

In addition to Africa, termites are consumed in local or tribal areas in Asia and North and South America. In Australia, [[Indigenous Australians]] are aware that termites are edible but do not consume them even in times of scarcity; there are few explanations as to why.<ref name=delicacy/><ref name=B1951/> Termite mounds are the main sources of soil consumption ([[geophagy]]) in many countries including [[Kenya]], [[Tanzania]], [[Zambia]], [[Zimbabwe]] and [[South Africa]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Geissler|first1=P.W.|title=The significance of earth-eating: social and cultural aspects of geophagy among Luo children|journal=Africa|date=2011|volume=70|issue=4|pages=653–682|doi=10.3366/afr.2000.70.4.653|s2cid=145754470}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Knudsen|first1=J.W.|title=Akula udongo (earth eating habit): a social and cultural practice among Chagga women on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro|journal=African Journal of Indigenous Knowledge Systems|date=2002|volume=1|issue=1|pages=19–26|issn=1683-0296|oclc=145403765|doi=10.4314/indilinga.v1i1.26322}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Nchito|first1=M.|last2=Wenzel Geissler|first2=P.|last3=Mubila|first3=L.|last4=Friis|first4=H.|last5=Olsen|first5=A.|title=Effects of iron and multimicronutrient supplementation on geophagy: a two-by-two factorial study among Zambian schoolchildren in Lusaka|journal=Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene|date=2004|volume=98|issue=4|pages=218–227|doi=10.1016/S0035-9203(03)00045-2|pmid=15049460}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Saathoff|first1=E.|last2=Olsen|first2=A.|last3=Kvalsvig|first3=J.D.|last4=Geissler|first4=P.W.|title=Geophagy and its association with geohelminth infection in rural schoolchildren from northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa|journal=Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene|date=2002|volume=96|issue=5|pages=485–490|doi=10.1016/S0035-9203(02)90413-X|pmid=12474473}}</ref> Researchers have suggested that termites are suitable candidates for human consumption and [[Space farming|space agriculture]], as they are high in protein and can be used to convert inedible waste to consumable products for humans.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Katayama|first1=N.|last2=Ishikawa|first2=Y.|last3=Takaoki|first3=M.|last4=Yamashita|first4=M.|last5=Nakayama|first5=S.|last6=Kiguchi|first6=K.|last7=Kok|first7=R.|last8=Wada|first8=H.|last9=Mitsuhashi|first9=J.|title=Entomophagy: A key to space agriculture|journal=Advances in Space Research|date=2008|volume=41|issue=5|pages=701–705|doi=10.1016/j.asr.2007.01.027|bibcode=2008AdSpR..41..701S|url=http://fr.khepri.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2013/10/Entomophagy-A-key-to-space-agriculture.pdf}}</ref>

===In agriculture===
[[File:Termites marked with traceable protiens.jpg|thumb|left|Scientists have developed a more affordable method of tracing the movement of termites using traceable proteins.<ref name="agricultural2010"/>]]
Termites can be major agricultural pests, particularly in East Africa and North Asia, where crop losses can be severe (3–100% in crop loss in Africa).<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mitchell|first1=J.D.|title=Termites as pests of crops, forestry, rangeland and structures in Southern Africa and their control|journal=Sociobiology|date=2002|volume=40|issue=1|pages=47–69|url=http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13648716|issn=0361-6525}}</ref> Counterbalancing this is the greatly improved water infiltration where termite tunnels in the soil allow rainwater to soak in deeply, which helps reduce runoff and consequent soil erosion through [[bioturbation#Terrestrial|bioturbation]].<ref name=aseanbiodiversity.info>{{cite journal|last1=Löffler|first1=E.|last2=Kubiniok|first2=J.|title=Landform development and bioturbation on the Khorat plateau, Northeast Thailand|journal=Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society|date=1996|volume=44|pages=199–216|url=http://www.siamese-heritage.org/nhbsspdf/vol041-050/NHBSS_044_2h_Loffler_LandformDevelopme.pdf}}</ref> In South America, cultivated plants such as eucalyptus, upland rice and [[sugarcane]] can be severely damaged by termite infestations, with attacks on leaves, roots and woody tissue. Termites can also attack other plants, including [[cassava]], [[Coffea|coffee]], [[Gossypium|cotton]], fruit trees, [[maize]], [[peanut]]s, soybeans and vegetables.<ref name=cap2008/> Mounds can disrupt farming activities, making it difficult for farmers to operate farming machinery; however, despite farmers' dislike of the mounds, it is often the case that no net loss of production occurs.<ref name=cap2008/> Termites can be beneficial to agriculture, such as by boosting [[crop yield]]s and enriching the soil. Termites and ants can re-colonise untilled land that contains crop stubble, which colonies use for nourishment when they establish their nests. The presence of nests in fields enables larger amounts of rainwater to soak into the ground and increases the amount of nitrogen in the soil, both essential for the growth of crops.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Evans |first1=T.A. |last2=Dawes |first2=T.Z. |last3=Ward |first3=P.R. |last4=Lo |first4=N. |title=Ants and termites increase crop yield in a dry climate |journal=Nature Communications |date=2011 |volume=2 |pages=262 |bibcode=2011NatCo...2..262E|doi=10.1038/ncomms1257|pmid=21448161|pmc=3072065}}</ref>

{{Clear}}

===In science and technology===
{{See also|Renewable energy|Termite-inspired robots|Sustainable architecture}}
The termite gut has inspired various research efforts aimed at replacing [[fossil fuels]] with cleaner, renewable energy sources.<ref name=doeinstitute/> Termites are efficient [[bioreactor]]s, theoretically capable of producing two litres of [[hydrogen]] from a single sheet of paper.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hirschler|first1=B.|title=Termites' gut reaction set for biofuels|url=http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2007/11/22/2097855.htm|access-date=8 January 2015|work=ABC News|date=22 November 2007}}</ref> Approximately 200 species of microbes live inside the termite hindgut, releasing the hydrogen that was trapped inside wood and plants that they digest.<ref name=doeinstitute>{{cite web|title=Termite Power |url=http://www.jgi.doe.gov/education/bioenergy/bioenergy_4.html |publisher=United States Department of Energy |access-date=11 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060922180946/http://www.jgi.doe.gov/education/bioenergy/bioenergy_4.html|archive-date=22 September 2006 |date=14 August 2006 |work=DOE Joint Genome Institute |url-status=unfit }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Roach|first1=J.|title=Termite Power: Can Pests' Guts Create New Fuel?|url=http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0314_060314_termite.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060316155632/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0314_060314_termite.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 16, 2006|access-date=11 September 2015|work=National Geographic News|date=14 March 2006}}</ref> Through the action of unidentified enzymes in the termite gut, [[lignocellulose]] [[polymer]]s are broken down into sugars and are transformed into hydrogen. The bacteria within the gut turns the sugar and hydrogen into [[cellulose acetate]], an [[acetate]] [[ester]] of cellulose on which termites rely for energy.<ref name=doeinstitute/> [[Microbiota#Metagenomic sequencing|Community DNA sequencing]] of the microbes in the termite hindgut has been employed to provide a better understanding of the [[metabolic pathway]].<ref name=doeinstitute/> Genetic engineering may enable hydrogen to be generated in bioreactors from woody biomass.<ref name=doeinstitute/>

The development of [[autonomous robot]]s capable of constructing intricate structures without human assistance has been inspired by the complex mounds that termites build.<ref name=Terminspired>{{cite journal |last1=Werfel|first1=J.|last2=Petersen|first2=K.|last3=Nagpal|first3=R. |title=Designing Collective Behavior in a Termite-Inspired Robot Construction Team |journal=Science|date=2014|volume=343|issue=6172|pages=754–758|doi=10.1126/science.1245842|pmid=24531967|bibcode= 2014Sci...343..754W|s2cid=38776920}}</ref> These robots work independently and can move by themselves on a tracked grid, capable of climbing and lifting up bricks. Such robots may be useful for future projects on Mars, or for building [[levee]]s to prevent flooding.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gibney|first1=E.|title=Termite-inspired robots build castles|journal=Nature|date=2014|doi=10.1038/nature.2014.14713|s2cid=112117767|url=http://www.nature.com/news/termite-inspired-robots-build-castles-1.14713}}</ref>

Termites use sophisticated means to control the temperatures of their mounds. [[#Mounds|As discussed above]], the shape and orientation of the mounds of the Australian compass termite stabilises their internal temperatures during the day. As the towers heat up, the [[solar chimney]] effect ([[stack effect]]) creates an updraft of air within the mound.<ref name=AAK2013>{{cite web|title=Termites Green Architecture in the Tropics|url=http://www.thearchitectmagazine.com/termites-green-architecture-in-the-tropics/|website=The Architect|publisher=Architectural Association of Kenya|access-date=17 October 2015|archive-date=22 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322132820/http://www.thearchitectmagazine.com/termites-green-architecture-in-the-tropics/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Wind blowing across the tops of the towers enhances the circulation of air through the mounds, which also include side vents in their construction. The solar chimney effect has been in use for centuries in the [[Middle East]] and [[Near East]] for passive cooling, as well as in Europe by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]].<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Tan|first1=A.|last2=Wong|first2=N.|title=Parameterization Studies of Solar Chimneys in the Tropics|journal=Energies|date=2013|volume=6|issue=1|pages=145–163|doi=10.3390/en6010145|doi-access=free}}</ref> It is only relatively recently, however, that climate responsive construction techniques have become incorporated into modern architecture. Especially in Africa, the stack effect has become a popular means to achieve natural ventilation and passive cooling in modern buildings.<ref name=AAK2013/>

===In culture===
[[File:Eastgate Centre, Harare, Zimbabwe.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The pink-hued Eastgate Centre]]
The [[Eastgate Centre, Harare|Eastgate Centre]] is a shopping centre and office block in central [[Harare]], Zimbabwe, whose architect, [[Mick Pearce]], used [[passive cooling]] inspired by that used by the local termites.<ref name=eastgate>{{cite news|last1=Tsoroti|first1=S.|title=What's that building? Eastgate Mall|url=http://www.hararenews.co.zw/2014/05/whats-that-building-eastgate-mall/|access-date=8 January 2015|work=Harare News|date=15 May 2014|archive-date=11 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411182543/http://www.hararenews.co.zw/2014/05/whats-that-building-eastgate-mall/|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was the first major building exploiting termite-inspired cooling techniques to attract international attention. Other such buildings include the Learning Resource Center at the [[Catholic University of Eastern Africa]] and the [[Council House 2]] building in [[Melbourne]], Australia.<ref name=AAK2013/>

Few zoos hold termites, due to the difficulty in keeping them captive and to the reluctance of authorities to permit potential pests. One of the few that do, the [[Zoo Basel]] in [[Switzerland]], has two thriving ''Macrotermes bellicosus'' populations&nbsp;– resulting in an event very rare in captivity: the mass migrations of young flying termites. This happened in September 2008, when thousands of male termites left their mound each night, died, and covered the floors and water pits of the house holding their exhibit.<ref>
{{cite news 
|url=http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/panorama/im_zoo_basel_fliegen_die_termiten_aus__1.848530.html 
|title=Im Zoo Basel fliegen die Termiten aus |newspaper=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |date=8 February 2014 |access-date=21 May 2011 |language=de}}</ref>

African tribes in several countries have termites as [[totem]]s, and for this reason tribe members are forbidden to eat the reproductive alates.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Van-Huis|first1=H.|title=Insects as food in Sub-Saharan Africa|journal=Insect Science and Its Application|date=2003|volume=23|issue=3|pages=163–185|url=http://ag.udel.edu/delpha/4434.pdf|doi=10.1017/s1742758400023572|bibcode=2003IJTIS..23..163V |s2cid=198497332|access-date=2015-09-20|archive-date=2017-07-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713120108/http://ag.udel.edu/delpha/4434.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> Termites are widely used in traditional popular medicine; they are used as treatments for diseases and other conditions such as asthma, [[bronchitis]], [[hoarseness]], influenza, [[sinusitis]], [[tonsillitis]] and whooping cough.<ref name=greview/> In Nigeria, ''[[Macrotermes nigeriensis]]'' is used for spiritual protection and to treat wounds and sick pregnant women. In Southeast Asia, termites are used in ritual practices. In Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, termite mounds are commonly worshiped among the populace.<ref name=Neoh2013>{{cite journal|last1=Neoh|first1=K.B.|title=Termites and human society in Southeast Asia|journal=The Newsletter|date=2013|volume=30|issue=66|pages=1–2|url=http://www.iias.nl/sites/default/files/IIAS_NL66_3031.pdf}}</ref> Abandoned mounds are viewed as structures created by spirits, believing a local guardian dwells within the mound; this is known as [[Keramat]] and Datok Kong.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pratama |first=Rian |date=2024-04-26 |title=Tips Termite Prevention untuk Bisnis Anda |url=https://umas.co.id/tips-termite-prevention-untuk-bisnis-anda/ |access-date=2024-07-30 |website=UMAS Pest Control |language=id}}</ref> In urban areas, local residents construct red-painted shrines over mounds that have been abandoned, where they pray for good health, protection and luck.<ref name=Neoh2013/>