Casey Morrison
Caddie Limbaker
JR Ormson
Difference between the number of termites following figure eight with different writing materials
The purpose of this experiment is to figure out why termites follow different paths using
different writing materials in a figure eight on white pieces of paper. The first step is to get a
black crayon, black colored pencil, black Bic pen, black marker, black Pilot pen, and black
Papermate pen. Using these writing materials, draw a figure eight on white paper. Put four
termites on the piece of paper and count how many follow the figure eight in a two minute time
period. Repeat each procedure twice. After both trials were finished, the data showed that the
termites were attracted to pen ink. However, they were only attracted to ballpoint and rolling ball
pens. This is because of a chemical found in the pen ink which is the same as the chemical used
by termites to tell each other where food can be found. This is why the termites followed the ink
line.
The experiment that was done was based on why the termites followed the red ballpoint
Bic pen figure eight. Background research was done to find out that there are three different
types of termites; soldier, worker, and reproducer. Soldier termites will follow a trail longer than
others. The termites are ecologically important and only ten percent of the four thousand species
are dangerous to structures. Termites follow the trail because they believe it is a trail to food.
All termites are blind so they rely on scent communication. Pheromones are the
chemicals that termites follow and are undetectable to humans. The drying agents in ball point
pens are the same as the pheromones. The termite trail is an unsaturated aliphatic alcohol and the
pen ink is glycol derivatives. The scent is lost within fifteen minutes.
If the termites are attracted to the scent of ink then they will follow different pen trails.
Materials:
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Black crayon
Black colored pencil
Black Bic pen
Black marker
Black Pilot pen
Black Papermate pen
Six pieces of white paper
Procedures:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Draw one figure eight on white paper with each material
Put all termites on same paper
Time termites for two minutes on each piece of paper
Count how many termites follow the figure eight
Repeat the above steps for each writing material
Repeat the above steps for two trials
Number of termites following
figure eight Trial 1 Trial 2
Material
Crayon
color pencil
Bic pen
Marker
Pilot pen
Papermate
pen
0/4
0/4
4/4
0/4
2/4
0/4
0/4
4/4
0/4
1/4
4/4
4/4
The first column is the writing material used to make the figure eight. The second and third
columns are the trials with the results.
Number of termites
Writing material
The bar graph displays the number of termites on the y-axis. On the x-axis, the writing
materials for the figure eights are listed. The data displays two trials; one in blue and the second
in red. Each trial shows the number of termites that followed the figure eight in two minute
intervals for each writing material.
In the experiment, the data shows that the pens were most successful at attracting the
termites. More specifically the ball point pens had more success. Both ball point pens, Bic and
Papermate, had all four termites follow the figure eights in the two minute period. The Pilot pen
is a rolling ball pen and had some success but not as much as the two ball point pens. The Pilot
rolling ball pen had two termites follow the figure eight in the two minute period. During the
second trial with the Pilot rolling ball pen, only one termite followed the figure eight. The three
other writing materials were a crayon, color pencil, and marker. All three had no termites follow
them in either of the two trials. This may be because the termites were not attracted to them
because they didn’t contain the same pheromones that pens have.
The hypothesis is that if the termites are attracted to the scent of ink then they will follow
different pen trails. The data mostly supports the hypothesis. At least one termite followed all the
pens trials. None of the termites followed the non-pen writing materials. However the
background research explains that the reason the termites follow the pen ink is because of the
pheromones found in the drying agents that are mostly found in ball point pens. The data
supports this information because all four termites followed both ball point pens during both
trials. One possible error could have been that different termites were used during the second
trial because lunch interrupted the experiment. A way to eliminate this error would be to not
have any interruptions that would cause a need to use different termites.
Works Cited
Sherwood, Rena. "Why Do Termites Follow an Ink Line?" EHow. Demand Media, 29
July 2010. Web. 30 Aug. 2012. <http://www.ehow.com/facts_6795960_do-termites-follow-inkline_.html>.