We woke up at 1 am the other night to laughter and tinny clunks and lots of people noise. It had just rained the previous evening, so the timing was right for the big termites to come flying out of their subterranean homes and head for light. Yes, light, as in the bulbs on our porches and around the mission. Here are a couple of women, gathering the termites as they fall to the ground. They often fall on their backs and can’t get turned over to fly again, so they’re easy prey for the receptacles that you see are getting full!
If you can get your mind past the fact that you have a bug (ugh!) in your mouth, the are actually quite tasty! I wouldn’t go so far as to say that if you served me a bowl of fried termites and a bowl of M&Ms that I would choose the insects, but I definitely eat them and don’t gag.
They tend to swarm like crazy, so if you have a light on inside the house, you better make sure your screens and door frames are tight.