The annual economic cost of drywood termite infestations within structures in the US exceeds half of one billion dollars annually. This is certainly a massive dollar amount, but if the economic cost of subterranean termite damage is added to this figure, the annual cost of termite infestations in the US reaches 5 billion dollars or more annually. This is not surprising considering that the eastern subterranean termite, and other subterranean termite species in the US are more widely distributed than drywood termite species. Also, drywood termite colonies mature at a relatively slow rate, and they contain far fewer individual termites compared to subterranean termite colonies. Therefore, when considering the United States as a whole, drywood termites are relatively insignificant pests, but this is certainly not the case in the south, especially in Texas.
Both the eastern subterranean termite and the Formosan subterranean termite are the two most damaging termite species in Texas. The third most destructive termite species in the state, the southeastern drywood termite, mainly infests structures and single wood items in the southeastern portion of the state, but drywood termites can be found throughout Texas. Other drywood termite species in the state include the western drywood termite and the west Indian powderpost termite, the latter of which is a non-native species from the Caribbean that established in invasive habitat in the southern US states several decades ago.
All three of Texas’ three major drywood termite species maintain a habitat in the southeast, but they are frequently found all over the state, as these pests often infest wood items that are transported to new areas. To illustrate how easily these pests are transported to new regions within infested wood items, it should be mentioned that a 12 year old termite colony was recently found in a couch within a Minnesota home. This couch was shipped to Minnesota from the southern states where it became infested around a decade ago. When drywood termites infest an individual wood item, the infested item is placed within a chamber where it is heated to 120 degrees for at least four hours. This period of time allows high heat to penetrate deep within wood where drywood termites are active.
Have you ever witnessed a drywood termite swarm emerge within a home?
