Page 22 - The Miracle of Termites

Harun Yahya

One of these precautions involves keeping the alates closed up in
their own areas. But when the time comes, the candidates must
emerge. They leave the nest by way of special tunnels constructed by

the workers, so that they can leave the colony without having to enter
the nest and cause confusion. They leave the nest with the first rains,
for with rains, the young alates' wings develop and they can move in
the tunnels. Once they fly, some of them may never come back. The al-
ates are weak flyers and can not go more than 500 meters (1,500 feet)

1
from the nest. On their first-ever flight, many of them get eaten by
birds and reptiles or otherwise lose their way. Those that do manage
to survive lose their wings after their flight is over and construct a hid-

den burrow that will house the colony. When the king and queen ma-

Winged reproductives
leave the colony at mat-
ing time. The wings are
a sign of their strength
and will assist them in
finding sites for a new
colony.

20 THE MIRACLE OF TERMITES