NASUTITERMES WALKERI

The nests of Nasutitermes walkeri are initially established in the crowns of trees at sites where there is some damage to the timber from fire or decay. The termites feed mainly at ground level and they create tubes down the trunk of the tree and then surface tubes or subterranean passages through the soil to reach other damp or rotting timbers. This species is common in eastern Victoria and are known to cause serious problems where the sub-floor of a building is damp and ventilation is poor. The soldier termites of this species have rounded heads, long straight mandibles with yellowish-brown bodies and are between 5 and 7 mm long.