Researchers have claimed that termites detect humidity to build their nests in areas of moisture.

Andrea Perna, a professor in complex systems at the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, and her group conducted laboratory experiments on Coptotermes gestroi termites by creating artificial arenas with different structures and meticulously tracked the insects' building behaviour through video surveillance in Lucca, Italy.

To their astonishment, they discovered that termites exhibited a preference for depositing building material at specific locations, particularly at the tips of pillars and corners of walls.

The key revelation came when researchers impregnated the clay substrate with a saline solution, which, upon evaporation, left behind tiny salt crystals marking regions of high humidity. These regions coincided precisely with the areas where termites had chosen to build, indicating a direct correlation between humidity gradients and termite construction activity.

The experiments concluded that termites have an extraordinary sensitivity to humidity concentrations, a crucial survival trait for the moisture-depended insects.

Termites were seen to choose to build the areas with high humidity pointing out a direct correlation between humidity gradients and termite construction activity.

Perna said: 'What really surprised us was to discover that termites use such a simple solution to a very complex problem.

'In our experiments, termites only need to add pellets of material depending on the local humidity, but the pellets that they add in turn change all the pattern of evaporation and humidity, inducing other termites to build at a different location, and so on, until very complex structures are produced.

'The study not only deepens our understanding of termite behavior but also offers insights into the remarkable adaptability and ingenuity of these seemingly humble creatures.

'As researchers continue to unravel the mysteries of the natural world, the humble termite stands as a testament to the remarkable complexity hidden within seemingly simple organisms.'