Subterranean termites are frequently used in bioassays to asses the effectiveness of insecticides or the resistance of materials. Termites which appear to be vigorous with high inherent levels of activity are often relied upon, yet at the end of the experiments survival may be very unsatisfactory, even in the favourable environment of controls. Consequently, results from such bioassays may be meaningless. Factors that can influence the vigorous performance such as: colony origin; quality of the termite supply; the physical environment; group composition and size; and the size of timber specimens, are discussed. The conclusion is that performance of a given termite source must be judged against standards and accepted levels of activity (i.e. for survival and wood consumption). Only if the experimental termites reach or exceed such minimum standards can a researcher be assured of the adequacy of the termite supply for the experiment in hand, and hence the reliability of the results of the assessment.

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