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How to Make Casts of Termite Tunnels

Some natural objects cry out to be cast in stone, or at least plaster. The paw prints of a bear, a handprint of your child, or the footprints of prehistoric man all deserve preservation for future generations. A few are so intricate and alien that making a cast is the only way to thoroughly study them. Termites create large intricate mounds laced with complex tunnels that provide air circulation and environmental control. To study the termite's remarkable engineering feat, biologists and engineers create an endocasting of the inside of the termite mound. Endocasting uses the exterior structure as a mold and makes a form of the inside of the object of interest. This project will require several days and a skilled team to accomplish. These mounds only exist in remote areas such as Africa and Australia.

Things You'll Need

Dental stone plaster
Portable cement mixer
Water
Metal spatula
Large bucket
Tarp
Hose

Instructions

- 1
  Cut away a small, 6-inch-square section of the termite mound a foot off the ground with the metal spatula. Don't cut more than one-third of the way through any column and select where to cut with an eye towards the stability of the mound.
- 2
  Mix dental stone plaster and water in the portable cement mixer. Add the water to the dry plaster and adjust the water by trial and error to a thin, watery pancake batter consistency. The amount of water will vary, so a hard and fast rule cannot not be given, but 1.5 times more water than dry plaster is a good starting place.
- 3
  Transfer the plaster from the cement mixer to a large bucket. Dip a quart of plaster at a time out of the bucket with a plastic container.
- 4
  Pour the plaster slurry into the hole you cut near the bottom of the mound until the plaster fills the hole. This step requires a significant amount of plaster slurry.
- 5
  Carefully pour the plaster into the natural openings in the upper part of the termite hill once the lower section is full.
- 6
  Fill any side openings or sister hills with the plaster slurry.
- 7
  Allow the plaster to dry overnight. In inclimate weather, cover the termite hill with a tarp.
- 8
  Rinse the termite hill away from the endocasting with water from the hose. Start at the top of the termite hill and work your way to the bottom. Unless there is a well or a lake nearby, bring a water buffalo to provide sufficient water. A water buffalo is a tanker truck with water.

Insects & Science