"Pheromone." Merriam-Webster.com. 2011. http://www.merriam-webster.com (5 Oct 2011). [Internet]; Available from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pheromonesName: Bhavi PatelPartners: Subhrangi Swain and Jessica GreenTitle: Why does the termite follow the ink of the Papermate pen?Date of Experiment: 09/29/2011Due Date: 10/05/2011Experiment #2Abstract: In this lab, we observed termites and saw that they followed the ink of the pen, from this observation we hypothesized that the termite would follow the ink of the Papermate pen because the termite is attracted to the scent of the pheromone in the drying agent of the pen. During this lab, we put on different substances on top of the ink so that the termites would not be able to smell the ink from the Papermate pen. In the end, we concluded that termites follow the Papermate ink because of the smell of the chemical in the pen; we came to this conclusion because the termites did not follow the ink when we put bubble gum lip smacker, mineral oil, and sharpie over the ink of the Papermate pen. Introduction:Termites are small ant-like creatures that live mostly in dirt or in wood and over the years, many people have observed termites and questioned about their peculiar reaction to certain chemicals found in ink. In our experiment, we hypothesized that the termite would follow theink of the Papermate pen because the termites are attracted to the scent of the pheromones in the drying agent of the pen. In addition to this, “Foraging termites produce a variety of chemicals called pheromones that influence their behavior. These pheromones are basically odors that send messages to other termites in the colony. While tunneling underground, the foraging termites lay down a trail of pheromone which they secrete from glands on their abdomen. When a food source is located, the odor trail is intensified to recruit other termites to the feeding site” (Miller, 2010).And therefore, termites follow the ink of Papermate pens because the chemical in the drying agent of Papermate pens mimics pheromones. Due to this,in my experiment we put substances over the ink of the Papermate pen so that the termite would not be able to smell the ink of the pen and it will not follow the circle we drew with the pen. Methods: We began this experiment by taking one sheet of computer paper and drawing a medium sized circle using a Papermate pen, and then we let the ink dry and put a termite on the paper.Then we observed and recorded the behaviors of the termite. After this we took another sheetof computer paper and drawing a medium sized circle using a Papermate pen, then we let the ink dry and then we applied Bubble Gum Lip Smacker over the ink after a couple of seconds.After doing this we put a termite on the paper and observed and recorded its behaviors. Next,we took a third sheet of computer paper and drew a medium sized circle using the Papermate pen, then we let the ink dry and after a couple of seconds we applied mineral oil over the circle we made using the Papermate pen. After doing this we placed a termite on the sheet of computer paper and observed and recorded its behaviors. We then took a fourth sheet of computer paper and drew a medium sized circle using a Papermate pen. Next, we let the ink dry and then went over the Papermate ink using a green Sharpie, and after this we placed a termite on the sheet of computer paper. Following this we observed and recorded the termite’s behavior. Results:Table 1. The following table shows when the termites followed the circle created with the Papermate pen and having substances covering the ink, and whether or not the termite followed the circle. Types of Material YES NOPapermate Pen XBubble Gum Lip Smacker XMineral Oil XGreen Sharpie XDiscussion: We found out that termites follow the ink of Papermate pens because they are similar to the scent of pheromones which are “chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal” (2011 Merriam-Webster). In addition to this, we found out from our experiment that by using different materials to cover the scent of the pheromones from the chemical so that the termites would not be able to detect the smell, the termites they did not follow the trail given off by the ink of the Papermate pen. When we put Bubble Gum Lip Smacker over the ink of the pen, the termite did not do anything for about 3 minutes, but then it went close to the medium sized circle and then left. When we put mineral oil over the ink of the pen, it seemed like the termite was avoiding the circle because the termite stood in front of the circle and then it began to move away from the circle, and next it went back to the ink and then left. However, when we put green Sharpie over the ink, the termite did not follow the circle at all. In this experiment, we had confounded variables, since we did not know whether or not the gender or the age of the termite affected the behavior of the termites. Also, while performing the experiment, we realized that the termites were having trouble keeping up with the experiment, the termites got tired very easily going by attempting to go over the circle with different substances, and by the end of the experiment one of the termites turned from being pale colored to being a brownish color, and was dead after several minutes. In conclusion, we saw from our experiment that termites follow the ink from Papermate pens solely because of the scent given off by the pheromone in the drying agent of the ink.References:Dini M. Miller.2010 March [cited 2011 Oct 5]. Subterranean Termite Biology and Behavior [Internet]; Available from http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/444/444-502/444-502.html"Pheromone." Merriam-Webster.com. 2011. http://www.merriam-webster.com (5 Oct 2011). [Internet]; Available from