Divisi
Termites
Macrotermes · Insect
Photo: Awinch1001 · CC0
Termites are small, soil-dwelling social insects that live in huge underground colonies, many topped by hard earth mounds. Blind worker termites travel out from the nest through hidden tunnels and covered mud runways, feeding on roots, the stem base and any dead plant material. The fungus-growing kinds (Macrotermes) are the most damaging to African field crops, and they do the most harm to drought-stressed plants and to mature or toppled crops left standing in the field.
ETF89 · CC BY-SA 4.0 
JonRichfield · CC BY-SA 3.0
Why it matters
Termites are quiet thieves that work below ground until, in a bad year, they take more than half your crop — up to 60%. Because they chew the roots and hollow out the stem base out of sight, the first thing you often see is a healthy-looking plant that suddenly wilts, or a whole patch of seedlings that simply vanishes. They strike hardest exactly when your crop can least afford it — in a dry spell, on thirsty drought-stressed plants, and on a mature crop still waiting to be harvested. And the real problem is a hidden colony, sometimes a queen buried deep in a mound, so you can never fix it by treating one plant: once termites are established they keep coming back, and the only real win is keeping the crop strong and stopping them before they spread.
When to act
Act when seedlings are being cut, lodging climbs, or fresh soil sheeting and runways appear on stems, particularly under drought when standing crops are attacked.
This guidance is general, compiled from published agronomic references including FAO and CABI. Thresholds and timing shift with your crop, your variety and the season.
In much of the region a spray is simply called mushonga — medicine. But a chemical group you cannot name is one you cannot rotate, and a product you did not write down has no pre-harvest interval you can observe. Mushonga, and other farming words →
The full termites field guide
- Identify it
- Scout for it
- Control it
14 field-guide sections in the app
The full guide to termites — every symptom to check, how and when to walk your field looking for it, and the controls that actually work, ranked. Built into your crop plan, so you are told to look before it costs you a harvest.
Crops it affects
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify termites?
The first sign is usually plants that wilt and die for no clear reason, or whole gaps in the row where seedlings were cut off at ground level soon after they came up. Older plants may suddenly topple over (this falling-over is called lodging) because the stem base has been eaten hollow and ring-barked — chewed all the way round.
When should I take action against termites?
Act when seedlings are being cut, lodging climbs, or fresh soil sheeting and runways appear on stems, particularly under drought when standing crops are attacked.
How do I control termites?
Prevent it — keep the crop strong and never thirsty. Termites hit drought-stressed plants hardest, so plant on time into moist soil, feed the crop well, and water or irrigate whenever you can so plants never wilt from thirst. A fast, even, vigorous stand shrugs termites off; a weak, stressed one invites them in.
Which crops does termites affect?
Among the crops covered here: Cassava, Groundnut, Maize, Sorghum, Sugarcane, Wheat.
Catch it before it costs you a harvest
Divisi builds scouting into your crop plan — it tells you when to walk your field, what to look for at that stage, and what to do when you find it. Free for farmers, works offline.
Check what grows on your farm