07/02/09 - 05:12 PM
A tiny insect may pose a big threat.
The University of Florida identified Formosan Termites in Panama City’s port last week, and they could spread throughout Bay County.
The Formosan is known as the “super-termite.” If you’ve found a typical Florida termite before, you might’ve seen about 1,000 in a nest. But, if you find a Formosan nest you can expect about a million. That’s a big difference, and it could mean expensive renovations.
Tim Brock is the third generation family member to own Brock pest control. It’s the first year he’s had to deal with Formosan termites, but he’s prepared for years.
“We started our training probably as much as 10 or 12 years ago with anticipation that they would be here. Andnow they’re here, and we’re prepared for them,” said Brock.
Panama City was just added to the list of Florida cities exposed with Formosan termites Subterranean termites are native to Florida. Formosan termites on the other hand, were just found at the port in Panama City. They look similar but they cause different problems.
“You’re just going to have more of them, and they’ll do more damage. Usually quicker, because of the vast numbers of them,” said Kenneth Rudisill of the University of Florida.
Formosans are yellow or brown in color, they have an oval shaped head and they’re about 12-15 milimeters in size. They don’t consume more wood than regular termites, but they do cause more damage.
“For the person who finds one in his house, if it isn’t caught in time, it could be quite devastating,” said Rudisill.
“There’s a possibility that Fermosans are other places in Bay County and we just haven’t found them yet. That’s definitely a possibility,” said Brock.
To protect your home, it’s important to look out for these pests. You should have your house inspected twice a year for the Formosan.