UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail: dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu

28 January 2004

Feature Article - for release the week of February 1, 2004

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has declared February as "Termite Awareness Month." So please make an attempt this month to be a little kinder to these poor, little creatures, who live in the dirt and dark and .... oh, wait a minute....

After re-reading a recent press release from the Department, I see now that wasn't the intent. The FDACS wants Florida residents to be more aware of the vast damage these despicable, little #$%^& cause every year, and also provide information on how to make structures safer against them. Today’s column will introduce these hated buggers and give you some reliable sources of information to help you manage them in and around your Florida home.

According to the Florida Pest Management Association and Agriculture Commissioner Bronson, Termite Awareness Month will help educate consumers about protecting their homes from termites.

Termites can cause consumers to lose their homes, and have cost Floridians over $700 million each year for damage and control costs. Termites are a fact of life in Florida. Consumers need to actively protect their homes by using a licensed professional pest control company to provide termite protection services.

The two main types of termites that affect Florida consumers are subterranean termites -which live in soil and attack structures from the ground up, and drywood termites, which can live in isolated pieces of wood in a structure such as attic rafters - drywoods can go undetected until they cause extensive damage. Licensed pest management professionals have the expertise to inspect and treat for infestations of these termites and provide protective measures for homeowners.

All Floridians are urged to review the steps they are taking to protect their homes from termites and to take advantage of information available about how to protect their homes and businesses against this destructive pest. Here are some good sources of information:

The UF Extension Service has several informational bulletins available on its publications website http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Termites ; they are also available at our office.

For-sale publications on termites are available at the UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore, especially the book, Houses that Termites love to eat.

You can call your county Extension office for individual help with termite identification and to review what kinds of pest management products and services would be useful for your situation.

The UF Featured Creatures computer site at http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/ also lists details on numerous termite species. We can print these pages for you at our office if you don’t like computers.

Look at the FDACS website www.doacs.state.fl.us or call 1 800 HELP FLA (435-7352). Companies that provide termite control services are licensed and inspected by the Department. Consumers can call the toll free number to determine whether a company is properly licensed.

Here are some steps that consumers can take to protect their homes from termites:

Remove woodpiles and other cellulose sources from under and next to their homes.

Have an annual inspection of their homes by a licensed professional pest control company.

Renew their termite protection contract annually.

Direct water sources, such as air conditioner drip lines and roof down spouts, away from the structure foundation.

When purchasing homes, carefully check the termite protection history of the home.

When building a new home, be sure that approved preconstruction practices are followed.

If you need additional information on termites, call or crawl on over to our office at 458 Hwy 98 North. Our phone number is 763-6469, and you can email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu.

--30--

Non-Subterranean Termites http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG098

Subterranean Termites http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG097

How To Buy Pest Control Services http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG237

Houses that Termites Love to Eat. http://ifasbooks.ufl.edu/ SP-285

Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS /University of Florida. Larry Arrington, Interim Dean.  

Last update: 02/16/2004 .  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert