Dozens of termite species have been documented in the US, but only a minority are known as being destructive to structural lumber and other finished wood items. All termite species are divided into three distinct groups known as Subterranean, drywood and dampwood termites. Species belonging to all three of these termite groups can be found in certain regions of the US, but subterranean termites are the most widespread, and therefore, the most economically damaging group of termites in the country. Five subterranean termite pest species are known as damaging pests in the US, and they account for at least 90 percent of all annual termite control costs in the US, which exceeds 3 billion dollars. Of these five species, four can be found in residential and urban areas of Waco.
Based on surveys carried out in three different counties in central Texas, colonies belonging to R. flavipes, R. virginicus, R. tibialis, R. hageni, and Coptotermes Fomanosus can be found in central Texas. These species are commonly known as eastern, dark southern, midwestern, arid land, light southern, and invasive Formosan subterranean termites, respectively. However, invasive Formosan subterranean termite colonies are very rarely spotted in the wild by field researchers in and around Waco, and the pests almost never infest homes in Mclennan County. With the exception of Formosan subterranean termites, four subterranean termite species in central Texas belong to the native Reticulitermes genus. These species cannot be discerned easily by visual inspection alone due to their morphological similarities that result from their shared evolutionary histories. However, recent genetic research studies indicate that colonies belonging to the dark and light southern termite species may be particularly abundant in central Texas, while eastern, and midwestern species are widely distributed across the state.
Have you ever noticed signs of a termite presence on your property?
