Two of the world’s most destructive species of termites are creating hybrid colonies in South Florida, and they may be more resistant to pesticides.
A UF study published last month found that Asian and Formosan subterranean termites are swarming at the same time and now mating.
Nan-Yao Su, an entomology and nematology professor at UF’s Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, said he noticed both species migrated from their usual regions. In 2012, his team discovered the Asian termite spread from the Caribbean islands to South Florida. The Formosan termite, which originated in China, is now established throughout Georgia, North Carolina and northern Florida.
Both species of termites were responsible for about $40 billion worth of damage last year, Su said.
Their recent migrations also caused an overlap in swarming seasons. Although the Asian termites’ swarming season occurs from February to April and the Formosan termites’ is from April to June, the hybrids were first discovered last May.
In the lab, the hybrids were exposed to different termiticides. However, Su discovered they are more resistant to chemicals than any other termite species.
“When chemicals are put into the soil, the hybrids simply move on to another household,” Su said.
John Scott, owner of Gainesville Pest Control, said a new species of termite will force his business to look into new treatment methods and ways to prevent infestations.
Scott’s company mainly uses the chemical Termidor for infestations.
“In my years of experience, I have found that this is the most successful treatment for termites,” Scott said.
Su said he plans to explore how much damage the hybrid termites are capable of. It will take about three years for Su and his team to gather information during each species’ swarming season.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 4/7/2015 under the headline “UF researching termite species resistant to pesticides”]
