Termites are extremely prevalent throughout Florida, making them a significant concern for property owners. The subtropical climate, characterized by year-round warm temperatures and high humidity, creates an ideal environment for these wood-destroying insects to thrive continuously. This consistent warmth and moisture allow termites to forage, reproduce, and cause structural damage without the seasonal slowdowns observed in colder regions. Florida’s unique environmental conditions place it in the highest risk category for infestation.
The Most Common Termite Species
Florida is home to a diverse array of termite species, including native and highly aggressive invasive types. The primary groups of concern for homeowners are subterranean, drywood, and invasive subterranean species. Understanding the feeding habits of each type is important because they differ in how they attack a structure and the damage they cause.
Subterranean termites, such as the common Eastern subterranean termite, are the most widespread and destructive type in Florida. These termites require constant contact with the soil to maintain moisture and build extensive colonies underground. They attack wood that is in contact with the ground or reach above-ground wood by constructing protective mud tubes.
Drywood termites do not require soil contact or high moisture levels and infest structures directly. They live entirely within the wood they consume, making their colonies smaller and often more isolated within items like attic beams, furniture, or door frames. This ability to live without soil makes them a threat to upper levels of a home.
The invasive Formosan and Asian subterranean termites pose a severe threat, particularly in South Florida. Formosan termites are known for their massive colony sizes and aggressive feeding habits. These highly destructive species can create carton nests inside walls and are not selective about the wood they consume.
Signs of Termite Activity
Termites are often called “silent destroyers” because they consume wood from the inside out, making early detection difficult. Homeowners can look for distinct physical evidence left behind by the different species. The presence of thin, pencil-width tunnels made of soil, wood, and saliva on foundations or walls indicates subterranean termite activity.
These structures, known as mud tubes, allow the subterranean termites to travel safely between the moist soil and the wooden food source above ground, protecting them from dry air and predators. If a homeowner breaks open a tube and finds live, creamy-white termites inside, it is a clear sign of an active infestation.
Drywood termites leave behind small, hard fecal pellets, often called frass, which they push out of tiny holes in the infested wood. These droppings resemble coarse sand or sawdust and are frequently found in small piles near baseboards, windowsills, or under furniture. Another sign of any active infestation is the sudden appearance of “swarmers,” which are the winged reproductive termites.
When these swarmers leave the colony to mate and establish new ones, they often shed their wings, leaving behind small piles that look like tiny fish scales near windows, doors, or light fixtures. Finally, wood damaged by termites may sound hollow when tapped or appear blistered or warped, a sign that the pests have created hollowed-out galleries inside the timber.
Protecting Your Home from Infestation
Effective protection against the year-round termite threat in Florida involves both proactive environmental control and professional intervention. Since subterranean termites require moisture, reducing dampness around the foundation is a primary preventative step. This includes repairing leaky pipes, ensuring gutters are clean, and making sure all water drains away from the structure’s perimeter.
Eliminating wood-to-soil contact is important because it removes a direct travel path for subterranean species into the home. Homeowners should store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and keep mulch or landscaping materials several inches from the foundation. Sealing cracks in the foundation, walls, and roof also closes off potential entry points for both subterranean and drywood termites.
Given the high-risk environment, regular professional inspections, ideally conducted annually, are a necessary monitoring step. Professionals can identify subtle signs of activity that an untrained eye might miss, allowing for early treatment. Once an infestation is confirmed, treatment options depend on the species involved.
For subterranean termites, the common solutions are liquid barrier treatments and baiting systems. Liquid termiticides are applied to the soil around the home’s foundation to create a continuous chemical barrier that kills termites as they pass through it. Baiting systems involve placing stations around the property to attract foraging termites, which then carry the slow-acting toxic bait back to the colony to eliminate it. Drywood termites often require localized treatments applied directly to the infested area, or in severe cases, whole-structure fumigation.