The Conehead termites were first discovered in the United States in Dania Beach Florida in 2001 and, first classified as tree termites. The Conehead termite likely made its way into the U.S. by attaching itself to some wood, where it was transported from its native Caribbean and South America. The Conehead termite lives in grasses, furniture, scrap wood, tool handles, and even paper products. The fact that the Conehead termite differs from the common termite in so many ways especially its behavior is what makes it so much harder to control.
The Conehead termite is a threat to residential plus commercial structures alike, and a Conehead colony can destroy a structure very quickly. Conehead termites are also much more adventurous foragers than the common termite. They have been known to travel hundreds of feet away from an established colony to establish satellite nests for future expansion. Conehead termites also reproduce much faster than the common termite, creating satellite colonies the size of a watermelon in less than six months. Dr. Barbara Thorne a researcher for the University of Maryland, who is a part of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Conehead Termite Program, had this to say “A Conehead colony will grow quicker than a subterranean because they have multiple reproductives and they ‘invest’ in growing the colony.” The colonies themselves are much larger in size than the common termite, with colony numbers easily over a million with hundreds of thousands of foragers.
The average person would think that with these large fast growing nests it would make Conehead treatments easier, but that’s not always the case. The common termite can usually be controlled effectively without finding the nest, but with the Conehead termite the nest needs to be located. Locating the nest even though they are large can be harder since the variety of locations they may colonize. The Conehead termite could become a problem in the future, but currently don’t have the large numbers in the US they once had. In 2012 Florida had 90 infestations while last year the number of infestations was only four. Today the Conehead termites are not a huge problem but, if proper management techniques are not utilized they could become a problem once again here in the United States.
The Termite Boys are the leaders in anything to do with termites in Boston. The Termite Boys have been servicing the North Shore Community since 1982. Our experience and knowledge of termites make us the #1 choice for termite service. We’ve treated over 1,000 properties, both commercial and residential, for termites using a proven and successful method. The Termite Boys offer a full 4 year warranty on our termite services. If you experience any termite problems or have a termite sighting during the 4 year warranty, The Termite Boys will revisit the property and treat accordingly at no extra cost. Contact us today and protect your property from termites for good!
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