If you live in a house constructed with a wood frame or wooden siding, this is the last thing you ever want to buy. But if your dwelling is made from brick, concrete, stone, metal, or glass, read on… Do you want to see what termites can do to a piece of wood? With the Termitat, you can grow your very own termite community, and observe the destructive little buggers as they chew through a slice of wood. They’re like Sea Monkeys, but with wood instead of water!

The see-through container comes pre-loaded with a hunk of wood, and an already-installed Pacific Dampwood termite community. Simply give them a weekly dribble of water, and the wood-eaters will gradually bore their way for all to enjoy. The makers of the Termitat claim the acrylic desktop habitat is “escape-proof,” so theoretically wood structures will be safe from a termite invasion, but I’d rather not take the risk.

Still, the Termitat is a cool desktop novelty for those interested in insect behavior, or science in general. If you’re ready to raise your very own termite community, prices range from $139.95 to $159.95. Once your community runs out of wood – in about 2 to 3 years, you can send it back to Termitat, and they’ll rejuvenate the environment for another $75.

[via r/shutupandtakemymoney]