Every summer, storms seem to get worse and worse. Unfortunately, this year is predicted to be another above-normal hurricane season. While you may not think termites and hurricanes are relevant to each other, they go hand in hand in causing massive damage to homes and businesses. And people often think that with more hurricanes come more termites, but is this true? Yes, there is a degree of truth to this. With termites’ love for damp, damaged wood, hurricanes can encourage their activity this time of year.
At Florida Pest Control, we know that termites and hurricanes are both major stressors for residents throughout the state. Our termite control experts are here to share all you need to know about termites during hurricane season.
Are Termites Dangerous During Hurricane Season?
Both subterranean termites and Formosan termites are infamous for infesting damp wood that is typically in contact with soil. A stormy summer, then, can encourage termite activity even more. The main dangers of termites during hurricane season are as follows:
- Storms will put more wood in contact with wet surfaces and soil, even to the point of causing water damage in a property. Water damage in wood above ground can bring subterranean termites up out of their nests and into higher levels of a building.
- Termites weaken wood not only in buildings but in trees as well. This puts structures at an even higher risk of damage during a storm or hurricane. Trees weakened by termites will be more likely to fall during a storm, and homes weakened by termites won’t have quite the stronghold they need to withstand high winds and water.
What Happens to Termites During a Storm?
Similar to other insects and animals, a hurricane or storm will likely displace termites. In the case there is serious flooding from a hurricane, it is likely that subterranean termites will drown. In fact, research conducted in 1995 by entomologists at the University of Georgia at Athens found that inundation, or flooding, was the single-greatest natural factor that led to mortality of subterranean termite populations. Before you get your hopes up, this usually will not kill off an entire colony. While there may be a decrease in termite populations immediately after flooding or storms, they will come back quickly—especially with the abundance of moistened, damaged wood at their disposal after a storm event.
How to Stay Safe From Termites During Hurricane Season
The last thing you want to think about during a hurricane is about the threat of termites. Unfortunately, these two threats go hand in hand. To ensure your property is not weakened by termites and made more vulnerable to storm damage, it’s important to team up with a local termite control company. At Florida Pest Control, we are proud to provide Florida property owners with industry-leading termite treatments and monitoring. Contact us today to learn how we can help prepare you for termite and hurricane season.
