The king and queen are usually sealed into a chamber where they are tended by workers. When a worker feeds the queen, the queen immediately knows if a particular group needs replenishing. For example, if a large number of soldiers were killed while repelling an enemy, the queen intercepts this information from the chemicals transferred from a worker. Workers tending the queen take the chemical to other members and the young who will eventually develop into soldiers. The defense mechanisms of termites have received a tremendous amount of attention from scientists.
Soldiers rely on chemical as well as physical weapons.
Some termite species bite their attacker and coat the wound with a toxic chemical that also prevents clotting. Other termites simply daub their aggressor with a built-in paint brush or inject the chemical directly. The spray may also be a gluey substance that entangles the invader much like a fly is caught on flypaper. In certain species of termites, the galleries are constructed in such a way that the head of the soldiers can act as a plug, effectively cutting off an entrance for enemies. Termites have a host of general and specific enemies.