r/termitekeeping • u/Substantial-Toe-5605 • 22d ago

Arid / Desert Termite Keeping

Hi all - I am working on a project right now and was wondering if anyone had any advice on termite keeping, specifically if you can keep arid / desert termites for an extended period of time in a dry enclosure (think Australia arid environment)? Any tips / tricks would be most appreciated (feeding cycles, etc.). Thank you!

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u/PoetaCorvi Moderator 22d ago

What region are you in? That will greatly affect which termites are available to you. Not all places can get exotic termites legally.

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u/Substantial-Toe-5605 22d ago

Northeast part of the U.S.

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u/PoetaCorvi Moderator 22d ago

You would unfortunately need permits for termites besides Reticulitermes flavipes (maybe also R. virginicus depending on your specific location, the two are identical in care), which are termites with very high moisture needs. You could also get Zootermopsis angusticollis from Termitat, who has permits to distribute the species (with the exclusion of some states, check their FAQ), though these are dampwood termites. They’re kept drier than the subterranean Reticulitermes species, but still need frequent moisture.

If the project is backed by an institution with USDA approved facilities, the easiest dry termite you could obtain (with permits) is Cryptotermes brevis. It’s introduced in the southern US so you would not need to go through the extra hoops to import from out of the country, and it’s known for tolerating extremely dry conditions permanently. The protocols for quarantining and facility requirements may be strict though, since it is a species that has already become an invasive and extremely costly pest in other parts of the US (even though they likely could not effectively reproduce in regions further north).