With two thirds of the total
annual infestation control bill
spent on this insect alone, termites
are by far the most economically
important pest plaguing
wood structures. Though more
than 50 species of termites live in
the U.S., about 95% of all damage
is done by subterranean termites,
which nest underground. Other
termites of local significance
include drywood termites found
along America's southern border
from California to Florida, dampwood
termites of the coastal Pacific
Northwest, and a recent exotic
arrival in several Gulf states, the
Formosan termite.
Lacking the natural antifreeze of
other insects, subterranean termites
cannot hibernate during freezing
weather and must remain active
year-round. Concentrated in the
Southeast, they have expanded
northward only since the early
1900s with the widespread adoption
of central heating.