"nope" writes:
theyre actually gathered in a dead clump of grass which i whipper snipped
and poisoned a few weeks ago at the bottom of the hardwood stake thats in
in the pic .there is a tap there but i never use it so the soil underneath
isn't wet

Did anything conclusive come from this thread?

I know [some] termites will eat dead grass. If the ones in your photo
emerged from a termite run that you disturbed, I would expect to see
amongst them some with a resemblance to lobsters: large heads and big
pincers, these are the guards and they always emerge to confront me
when I probe a termite tunnel. Lacking defences, the workers, looking
very much like those in your pics, scurry back into the tunnel to
regroup and begin immediate repairs.

Without guards, I'd say you don't then have termites; at least, not the
sort of termites that I know.

I once witnessed a termite colony on the move along a beach. The line
of ants streamed from the bush and headed directly across the cool sand
to the shoreline where the sand had been left damp by a RETREATING tide.
It followed the damp sand for about 60 meters, then turned and headed
back into another patch of native bush. This occurred in the early
morning, before the sun hit the sand. I have no idea of the number of
individuals in the colony, as the line had already formed when I
chanced upon it, but it was fascinating to watch the tail end of the
stream as it slowly wended its way along the sand. The ants marched 5
or 6 abreast, as I recall; they were not in single file.

You probably won't believe this, but peppered among the throng at
approx one meter invervals were guards in military costume pounding on
tiny drums made of gumnuts ....
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)