At least 51 of the 65 dams in central China's Hubei Province have been tunneled through by termites, creating a threat to the structural integrity of the reservoirs. The China Youth Daily reported on Thursday that one of the insects' nests found in the Xiao'ao Reservoir near the provincial capital Wuhan was big enough for a small car to fit inside. More than 160 of the huge nests have been discovered in the embankments of nine large reservoirs and 56 smaller ones. The dams have varying degrees of damage, prompting officials in Wuhan to use pesticides in an attempt to control the problem before the flood season begins next month.
Subterranean termites are ground dwellers and require contact with soil and a source of moisture.
The infestation, which is being termed the worst in more than a decade, has been triggered by unusually heavy summer rainfall. The wheat belt of western Australia and the cereal crops in South Australia have already been ravaged by the insects. The region's wine industry is also seriously threatened by the voracious bugs. Controlling the locusts has proved difficult because they are hidden beneath the vast amount of lush vegetation that has sprung up since the rains. File conceded that locust-control spraying planned for next week could meet with limited success.