Her Majesty the Termite Queen | National Geographic

let’s go inside one of the most

let’s go inside one of the most remarkable most fascinating and well

remarkable most fascinating and well

remarkable most fascinating and well most disgusting places on earth and we

most disgusting places on earth and we

most disgusting places on earth and we mean that in the best sense of the word

mean that in the best sense of the word

mean that in the best sense of the word let’s go inside a termite nest a factory

let’s go inside a termite nest a factory

let’s go inside a termite nest a factory ventilated by air shafts and where

ventilated by air shafts and where

ventilated by air shafts and where termites produce more termites we’re in

termites produce more termites we’re in

termites produce more termites we’re in the Queen’s Chamber the heart of the

the Queen’s Chamber the heart of the

the Queen’s Chamber the heart of the nest imagine you’re the queen there

nest imagine you’re the queen there

nest imagine you’re the queen there attended by millions of sterile worker

attended by millions of sterile worker

attended by millions of sterile worker termites who live to feed you groom you

termites who live to feed you groom you

termites who live to feed you groom you and carry your eggs away when you lay

and carry your eggs away when you lay

and carry your eggs away when you lay them you aren’t acting helpless because

them you aren’t acting helpless because

them you aren’t acting helpless because you think you need oil treatment you are

you think you need oil treatment you are

you think you need oil treatment you are hopeless see a termite Queens head is

hopeless see a termite Queens head is

hopeless see a termite Queens head is nearly as small as the rest of the

nearly as small as the rest of the

nearly as small as the rest of the termites in the colony but she’s

termites in the colony but she’s

termites in the colony but she’s rendered immobile by her four inch

rendered immobile by her four inch

rendered immobile by her four inch throbbing pulsating cake machine of an

throbbing pulsating cake machine of an

throbbing pulsating cake machine of an abdomen how many eggs can this body

abdomen how many eggs can this body

abdomen how many eggs can this body produce take a guess would you say

produce take a guess would you say

produce take a guess would you say hundreds a day maybe I don’t know a

hundreds a day maybe I don’t know a

hundreds a day maybe I don’t know a thousand a high-performance Queen like

thousand a high-performance Queen like

thousand a high-performance Queen like this one can produce well let’s do the

this one can produce well let’s do the

this one can produce well let’s do the math 30,000 eggs in one day times 365

math 30,000 eggs in one day times 365

math 30,000 eggs in one day times 365 days a year

days a year

days a year that’s ten million 950,000 eggs times

that’s ten million 950,000 eggs times

that’s ten million 950,000 eggs times fifteen years the life of a queen this

fifteen years the life of a queen this

fifteen years the life of a queen this body will crank out 164 million 250,000

body will crank out 164 million 250,000

body will crank out 164 million 250,000 eggs in her lifetime – huh no wonder she

eggs in her lifetime – huh no wonder she

eggs in her lifetime – huh no wonder she needs so many attendants it’s one of

needs so many attendants it’s one of

needs so many attendants it’s one of their jobs to carry all those eggs to

their jobs to carry all those eggs to

their jobs to carry all those eggs to cells where they hatch into fragile nips

cells where they hatch into fragile nips

cells where they hatch into fragile nips these nips were thought to be more

these nips were thought to be more

these nips were thought to be more workers whose job it is to continually

workers whose job it is to continually

workers whose job it is to continually build and repair the nest

build and repair the nest

build and repair the nest supply it with food and water and care

supply it with food and water and care

supply it with food and water and care for the Queen in this turbine Factory

for the Queen in this turbine Factory

for the Queen in this turbine Factory the royal assembly line never shuts down