Savage Termites Are The Latest Species To Plague Florida Joining Pythons, Giant Rats, Crocodiles And Poisonous Caterpillars

By Christine Show and Daily Mail Reporter – “Dangerous wood-eating termites that can destroy trees and damage homes are the latest infestation to turn up in Florida.

The Nasutitermes corniger termite are native to the Caribbean but have now joined the 20 or so other species of termites which live in the Sunshine State.

The pesky insects are the latest unusual species found in Southern Florida along with African rats, Burmese pythons, and poisonous caterpillars.

The arrival of the termite poses a particular problem because they feast on hardwood, foraging on trees, garden furniture and attack the outside wall of homes.

The termites differ from Florida’s other species because they are found above ground and can fly – making it easier for them to establish new nests.

They build tunnels running up the outside of houses and trees where they create beach ball sized nests weighing up to 28 kilograms.

And a single nest could hold more than a million termites, Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, professor of entomology at the University of Florida, told the Sun Sentinel.

‘They love to eat hardwoods. They ate the handles off garden implements, rakes and hoes — turned them into shredded wheat. If this thing really keeps going, it’s going to be a problem for tropical Florida, from West Palm Beach to the Keys,’ warned Scheffrahn.

He worries that the new species could increase the amount of termites in the Dania Beach region by as much as 30 per cent.

But agricultural officials are determined to stamp out the plague of termites before they spread any further.” Read more.