The Nutritional Requirements of Termites in Axenic Cultures. 2. Studies on the Effectiveness of Antibiotics in the Sterilization of Workers of Reliculitermes flavipes12

Abstract

In an effort to obtain sterile third- and fifth-instar workers of Retkulitermes flavipes (Kollar) for nutritional studies, antifungal and antibacterial agents were incorporated into the diet. Methyl para-hydroxy benzoate proved adequate as a fungicide at levels as low as 0.015 molar, but none of the antibiotics tested singly or in combination killed all of the termite-associated bacteria. A number of factors were investigated for their influence on the potency of the antibiotics, but changes made in materials and techniques as a result of these studies were not effective in increasing the activity of the bactericides.