Formosan Subterranean Termites

Formosan subterranean termites are a very real threat to your home or office. The threat is so significant, most people fail to realize Formosan termites are often excluded in the termite contract they have, or they are assuming with a new home purchase.

Are Formosan Subterranean Termites Included In Your Termite Contract?

Termite prevention guarantees are often referred to as “termite bonds” but you should understand your contract with the termite company is not a “bond”. Only surety companies can issue bonds. Your termite contract is a “trade guarantee” which is backed by the service providers insurance company.

360PestControl knows a thing or two about Formosan subterranean termites and the level of damage they can do to a structure. Our founder, William Chandler, was the first person to discover Formosan termites in Jacksonville, FL, in 2015. During an inspection of the former Women’s Center at the Cummer Museum, Mr. Chandler found active infestation of Formosan’s from the basement to the roof sheathing. The damage was so extensive, sadly, the building was demolished. This was the first reported discovery of Formosan termites in Duval County.

Formosan Subterranean Termites Damage

Formosan subterranean termites are worrisome to pest control companies due to the level of damage they can do in a relatively short period of time. Formosan termites construct carton nests inside the structure in addition to the colony located underground. This allows them to multiply much faster than our traditional Eastern subterranean termite and it can make eradication of the colony much harder. Succinctly, the level of liability to the service provider is greater.

Formosan termites were first discovered in Hallandale, FL in the 1980’s and since they have spread across Florida causing millions of dollars in damage. Their colonies can become so large they infest entire city blocks. Efforts to eradicate them have been hampered by weak prevention (less than half of structures in Florida have any termite protection), and the fact they were firmly entrenched when discovered.

About Formosan Subterranean Termites

Formosan termites are subterranean with the primary colony located underground but they can build remote carton nests in trees and buildings. The colony may contain several million termites versus several hundred thousand of the native Eastern subterranean termite. Formosan workers can forage up to 300 feet from the nest (in all directions) versus about 150 feet for the Eastern termite. Once established in an area, Formosan termites have never been eradicated from that area. As of 2019, Formosan termites are known to exist in the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Single Formosan termites do not consume any more wood than an Eastern termite but due to the size of the colony which may be ten times larger, damage can be much more extensive and occur in a much shorter timeframe. A residential structure could be a total structural loss in four years, and possibly less. Remember, these termites forage up to 300 feet in any direction so an infestation present on adjacent streets could affect your home or office.

If you live in an area or are moving to an area with a well-established Formosan termite infestation, all you can do is hope to control them. Again, once established in a geographic area, they cannot be eradicated. If they are not established, the best protection is a well maintained and monitored termite bait system. Studies conducted by the University of Florida have proven termite bait systems perform better than any liquid treatment system as millions of termites will find a way around a chemical only treatment system.

360PestControl

360PestControl offers both Sentricon™ and Trelona™ Active Termite Bait Systems. We fully support both systems, and we will recommend the system we believe best for your home/office.

Regardless of the prevention system you choose, a well-qualified, annual inspection is critical in order to detect the presence of Formosan termites early. Formosan termites are similar to a cancer; nothing beats early detection. No company provides better termite inspections than us. We use TermaTrac™ which incorporates radar and moisture sensing to detect hidden termites. Simply, we see what others cannot. For termite treatment, contact us at (904) 637-1109 to request service today!