| “ | Termites eat wood. So too many termites would eat too much wood. | ” |
Termites are insects that appear in The Lion Guard universe. They live in the Pride Lands, the Outlands, and the Back Lands.
Appearance
In the Real World
Termites have thin bodies with a darker head. They have pincers at the top of their heads.
In The Lion Guard
Termites are tiny insects with round cream bodies and round brown heads. They have black eyes and two small antennae on their heads.
Information
In the Real World
Termites live in large colonies in trees or in mounds made of dirt. They feed on wood.
In The Lion Guard
The termite population in the Pride Lands is controlled by the aardwolves - otherwise, their numbers increase greatly over a short period of time and drastically reduce the amount of wood. Termites are the aardwolves' favorite food.
History
Too Many Termites
After the aardwolf pack is forced out of the Pride Lands, termites infest the land overnight. They are first noticed in the Lair of the Lion Guard by Bunga, who eats them happily. When rushing to the aid of the Mekundu Bats, the Lion Guard finds that a tree that formally was able to hold them all is quick to shatter after they cross. Once they reach the bats, only just managing to get them out of their collapsing tree, they find that it has been infested with termites. They realize that this must have been the cause of the previous tree's demise, but Bunga feels that there still aren't too many of the insects. No sooner has he said this do more trees collapse due to the termites, and Bunga admits that there may be too many.
The Guard consults Simba, who tells them to find the aardwolves, who control the termite population, as termites are their favorite food. This proves true when the Guard goes to find the aardwolves in the Outlands, realizing as they do that no termites inhabit the Outlands. They find one aardwolf, Mjomba, who is eager to help as soon as they tell him about the termite situation. With his assistance, they find the other aardwolves and bring them back, quickly reducing the termite population to what it was before. The aardwolves send Bunga a thank-you gift of termites, which delights him, as he was greatly missing the little insects.
Beware the Zimwi
The Porcupine brothers perch atop a termite mound, unintentionally making them appear taller than they are. Ono reveals what the structure is to the rest of the Guard, and Bunga begins to eat the termites.
Lions of the Outlands
After Kion uses the Roar and it blows the Outsiders (Zira's family) lands in termite mound which she calls their new home.
Beshte and the Beast
Shujaa helps Muhangus move the rock that's blocking the way to his den. He then throws the rock far away, but it crashes into a termite mound. Bunga thanks him and he starts to eat.
The Harmattan
When the Lion Guard got themselves trapped in a Harmattan in the Back Lands, Bunga got knocked over a cliff and hangs onto a tree branch that has termites on it.
Friends to the End
In a flashback during the Friends to the End (song) Bunga asks his friends if they want any termites.
Comics
Janja's Prisoners
Termites are used in Ono's path. The Lion Guard use them by placing them on a cage of thorns containing Timon and Pumbaa to set them free.
Trivia
- There is an early ending for The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar where Bunga was to fall into a termite mound before eating one that was crawling on his face.