Pest control expert shares tips on fighting Formosan termites
When reports of termite swarms and infestations are made, thoughts naturally turn toward older, wood-framed structures as sites for drywood termite nests. But when it comes to that nasty import, the Formosan subterranean termite, homeowners of all construction types beware. Formosan termites need and thrive on moisture, which can be found in and around any home.
The Formosan termite, native to Taiwan and China, has created more than $1 billion in damage each year in the United States, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Readers may recall the devastation the invasive termite wreaked on the Woman’s Club of Jacksonville, which had to be demolished in 2016.
To learn more about this invasive pest, property owners from Riverside and Avondale attended a workshop July 23 sponsored by Riverside Avondale Preservation, featuring Paul Mitola, an environmental specialist with FDACS in Gainesville.
The workshop, “Formosan Termites: How to prevent damage to your historic home or business,” was held at Riverside Presbyterian Church. Mitola, who has spent 40 years in pest management, including 10 years as a pest inspector, shared a list of conditions conducive to infestation, as well as tips on the most effective treatment.
Mitola said he believes the Formosan termite has been in the area for a longer period than most people think. He said Formosans look similar to the drywood termite, just slightly larger, and swarm in the evenings when the drywood termite swarms.
“I think they have been misidentified for years. For a long time, people thought those swarms were drywood termites,” he said, “but they are 10 times larger.” Formosan colonies will contain several million, while the drywood or other native subterranean termite species may only have several hundred thousand.
Another difference is where the colonies are formed. Drywood termites create nests directly inside dry wood, such as siding, eaves, cornices and walls and even dead limbs in trees, while a Formosan termite seeks moisture, such as in soil around the home or inside the home’s insulation or in window frames, joists, flooring or other areas that have been exposed to water and left untreated.
Termites will dine on and live in plants, trees, such as oak, ash and water-bound cypress, paper, cardboard and wood construction. They are also known to chew through foam insulation, thin lead and copper sheeting, plaster, asphalt and some plastics. “They will eat anything containing cellulose [wood fiber],” said Mitola, showing pieces of wood and insulation from homes where nests were discovered.
Termite nests are created after each swarming event, typically May through July, when winged termites (alates) take flight, mate and then lose their wings. The mated, wingless Formosan termite queen will find a hole or gap – as small as 1/64th of an inch – to enter to create a new nest, laying up to 3,000 eggs a day and start the cycle over throughout her lifespan of up to 15 years.
“Formosan termites are relentless. They will find any little gap,” said Mitola. “All they have is time and all they eat is cellulose.”
Conducive conditions
Mitola also provided a list of circumstances and areas around a home where conditions are most conducive for Formosan subterranean termite colonies, most notably any area close to the soil. Homes built on grade, where the floor level is at or only slightly above the soil, make it easy for termites to transition from soil into the home, while a property grade that is six to eight inches below the slab and sloping away from the structure will help prevent infestation.
Basically, anything in contact with soil or exposed to prolonged moisture, including walls wet by lawn sprinklers, are inviting to the Formosan subterranean termite. “Their nests are in the ground and they will return to the soil unless there is a secondary moisture source above ground, then they can stay in the structure itself and don’t have to return to the ground,” said Mitola.
For a list of conducive conditions for wood destroying organisms (WDOs), email [email protected] and ask for form FDACS-P-02044.
To treat termites and other WDOs, Mitola recommended getting a WDO pest control contract, but be sure to look for both drywood and subterranean termite types. “They won’t state ‘Formosan subterranean termite,’ they will say they don’t treat for ‘coptotermes formosanus’,” said Mitola, who also said the “retreatment and repair” contract obligates the pest control company to return to perform retreatment and to repair any new damage caused by termites.
If left untreated or not treated properly, Mitola said a property owner could easily find himself facing $30,000 to $50,000 in repair claims from Formosan subterranean termite damage.
He also said the City of Jacksonville has a program to treat trees on city property, but private property owners must seek out pest control companies to ensure their homes and trees are treated property.
To qualify a licensed pest control company, Mitola suggested calling the Bureau of Licensing and Enforcement [(850) 617-7997], which has to provide information about complaints.
“Consumers need to know about this threat,” said Mitola. “Formosan termites become such a problem because of the sheer numbers – they are astronomical. When they swarm, they are terrifying.”
By Kate A. Hallock
Resident Community News
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