Termite Queen Lays Millions of Eggs | 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 where termites

ventilated by air shafts where termites

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

produce more termites we’re in the

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

Queen’s Chamber the heart of the nest

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

imagine you’re the queen

imagine you’re the queen you’re attended by millions of sterile

you’re attended by millions of sterile

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

worker termites who live to feed you

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

groom you and carry your eggs away when

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

you lay them you aren’t acting helpless

you lay them you aren’t acting helpless because you think you need royal

because you think you need royal

because you think you need royal treatment you are helpless see a termite

treatment you are helpless see a termite

treatment you are helpless see a termite Queen’s Head is nearly as small as the

Queen’s Head is nearly as small as the

Queen’s Head is nearly as small as the rest of the termites in the colony but

rest of the termites in the colony but

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

she’s rendered immobile by her four-inch

she’s rendered immobile by her four-inch throbbing pulsating egg machine of an

throbbing pulsating egg machine of an

throbbing pulsating egg 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

math

math thirty thousand eggs in one day times

thirty thousand eggs in one day times

thirty thousand eggs in one day times 365 days a year that’s ten million

365 days a year that’s ten million

365 days a year that’s ten million 950,000 eggs times 15 years the life of

950,000 eggs times 15 years the life of

950,000 eggs times 15 years the life of a queen this body will crank out 164

a queen this body will crank out 164

a queen this body will crank out 164 million 250,000 eggs in her lifetime –

million 250,000 eggs in her lifetime –

million 250,000 eggs in her lifetime – huh no wonder she needs so many

huh no wonder she needs so many

huh no wonder she needs so many attendants it’s one of their jobs to

attendants it’s one of their jobs to

attendants it’s one of their jobs to carry all those eggs to cells where they

carry all those eggs to cells where they

carry all those eggs to cells where they hatch into fragile nymphs these nymphs

hatch into fragile nymphs these nymphs

hatch into fragile nymphs these nymphs will it grow up to be more workers whose

will it grow up to be more workers whose

will it grow up to be more workers whose job it is to continually build and

job it is to continually build and

job it is to continually build and repair the nest supply it with food and

repair the nest supply it with food and

repair the nest supply it with food and water and care for the Queen in this

water and care for the Queen in this

water and care for the Queen in this termite Factory the royal assembly line

termite Factory the royal assembly line

termite Factory the royal assembly line never shuts down