Listening to Wood Helps Termites

Although termites have a reputation for being indiscriminate eaters, they can in fact be quite choosy. Indeed, in addition to selecting for wood palatability and hardness, different species are known to favor particular sizes of wood--presumably as a way of avoiding competition with other termites. Exactly how they manage this sizing up has puzzled scientists, however: the creatures are blind, and they do not pace the dimensions of a piece of wood before tucking into it. New research suggests they may be assessing their options by listening.