Subterranean Termites Common in Our Area

Recently we discussed Drywood Termites. The “good” news was that these colonies are slow to develop and advised you not to panic but, nonetheless, to be vigilant in monitoring for infestations.

Subterranean Termites More Aggressive

Subterranean Termites, which live underground in the soil, come in several different flavors and are the most widespread and destructive group of termites in the U.S. They are most common in the South and Southeast. The Eastern Subterranean Termite is the dominant termite

Formosan Termite alates are attracted to and will swarm around sources of light. Video by Chris Dunaway for LSU Ag Center.

species in the eastern half of the country and the most economically important for the destruction it causes. The Formosan Subterranean Termite is the most destructive and is found occasionally in most Southeast states, including Florida.

Subterranean Termites are social insects that live in colonies consisting of many individuals. The colonies consist of workers, soldiers and reproductives. The workers are about 1/8 inch long and have no wings. They are white to cream colored and very numerous. Soldiers defend the colony against other insects.

Termites? No Need To Panic

In Florida, termites and wood decay cause up to $1 billion in property damage each year. Forty-five different species of termites live in the U.S. and a few other species not found in other states call Florida their home. These species fall into three types: subterranean, drywood and dampwood.

Drywood Termites

Today, we’ll look at drywood termites because they live in wood, such as the structural timber or hardwood floors of your home or dead trees around your property.

Late spring and summer months are the peak season for winged drywood termite swarming flights. These insects emerge in the evening and during the night and are attracted to lights or TV. This is just one sign of infestation.

Other signs of infestation include:

• Discarded wings that have accumulated around window sills or in spider webs.

Whiteflies Leave Wide Path of Defoliation

Don't let this happen to your landscaping investment

For the past five years, non-native ficus hedges and trees have been under attack by fig whiteflies. These nuisances, which are in the same family as aphids, scales and mealybugs, have left a wide path of defoliation along streets and property lines. According to researchers at the University of Florida, fig whiteflies injure plants by sucking juices from them that causes wilting, yellowing, stunting, leaf drop and even death.
Also known as the ficus whitefly, this insect resembles a small moth with a yellow body and white wings with a faint gray band in the middle of the wings. Although their lifecycle is only a month, they can cause extensive damage to your shrubbery. Eggs are laid on the underside of leaves and hatch into a crawler stage. The crawler wanders around the leaf until it begins to feed. From this point, until they become adults, they don’t move and remain in the same place on the plant.

Are Big Headed Ants at Home in Your Home?

More than 220 species of ants call Florida home. They inhabit a wide variety of nesting locations, including tree limbs and twigs, grass stems, rotten logs, dead leaves, soils of all kinds, tree bark … and your home.

Watch for Piles of Sand

Piles of sand and other debris indoors may signal big-headed ants. These small, light brown to reddish brown to nearly black, dull ants come in two sizes: major workers, which measure about 1/7th of an inch, and minor workers, which are about 1/10th of an inch. The major’s head is disproportionately larger than its body.

Searching for food in trails of a few up to hundreds of workers, outdoors they feed on live and dead insects, seeds and the honeydew of other insects. In your home, they prefer protein foods but will also dine on greases and sweets. Inside, they trail along baseboards and are found foraging under the edges of carpets. You should attempt to follow the workers back to the site where the colony is located and if they are entering and exiting from under a wall, an inspection of the foundation should be made for cracks and holes.