The largest had 2.2 million. One colony foraged on both sides of Dubuque Street, connected by underground tunnels. The resulting map of the area is called a colony characterization, and it was vital to ensure that the affected buildings were cleaned out totally. It allowed Prabhakaran to place his insecticide at strategic baiting positions to make sure that each distinct colony got a taste. The insecticide itself was revolutionary, too.
Traditional insecticide is nerve poison.
The bug eats it, then it dies. The more it eats, the faster it dies. Prabhakaran works with an insecticide called hexaflumuron, a growth regulator. Termites have exterior skeletons, and as they grow they must molt their skins to make way for bigger ones. Hexaflumuron stops them from molting, and the termites outgrow their skins.