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Sep. 22, 2008 09:42 AM

Subterranean termite in soilIt seems to make sense that subterranean termites would have a difficult time surviving in cities – with all of the buildings and concrete, and little exposed soil. But they do just fine in large urban areas. New York, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo have their share of termite infestations. Swarms can occur in a hotel coffee shop on the 1st floor or in an apartment on the 17th floor. Subterranean termite colonies can survive in large cities by feeding on buried wood around building foundations, and sometimes in ground debris in parks and vacant lots. Colonies may not produce yearly swarms, and swarming may be in basements. In cities, colonies can reproduce by “budding,” which is when a portion of a large colony divides and forms a new one.

There are more termite colonies in suburban areas, and they occur more often in subdivisions built on land that was once wooded than agricultural land. There are natural habitats (parks, woodlots and dead trees) in or near suburbs and these can serve as a ‘reservoir habitat’ for termites. Swarms that originate from colonies in these reservoirs can provide the pairs of termites (future queens and kings) that will found new nests around houses and buildings.

As termite control materials and application methods become more effective, the number of termite colonies in both cities and suburbs might start to decline. This will be especially true in large cities, where there is a long history of termite control and there are few reservoir habitats to provide termite queens and kings with areas for new colonies. In suburban areas, where there are usually some natural areas, termites may have a better chance of surviving new control methods, but maybe not for long.

Reference: Eastern Subterranean Termite Foraging Territories and Populations in Toronto. 1989. J.K. Grace, A. Abdallay, and K.R. Farr. Canadian Entomologist 121: 551-556.

 

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