Editing Termite (section)

===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/>