Florida Residents Are Helping Officials Eradicate Conehead Termites

Back in 2015, officials in Broward County, Florida discovered an invasive termite species at Dania Beach. Since then, officials in the county have been struggling to control this invasive species. This invasive termite species is commonly known as the conehead termite, and they are native to the Caribbean Islands. Conehead termites were first discovered in the south of Florida in 2001, and although there are still a few isolated pockets of conehead termite activity in the state, officials are pleased to announce that termite eradication efforts have been largely successful in the region.

During 2015, twenty six conehead termites were found on a property in Dania beach. This property is two thirds of an acre in size, and it contained large regions of overgrown vegetation, which made termite-tracking efforts difficult. The city of Dania Beach funded eradication efforts on the property in order to prevent this termite’s spread into other regions of Florida. Conehead termites may still be active in some regions of southern Florida, but thanks to a citywide eradication effort, there no longer exists any areas of conehead termite activity within Dania Beach.

Experts believe that conehead termites entered the state of Florida by infesting wooden packing material that arrived by boat from the termites native range, which is South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Conehead termites can cause extensive structural damages, and unlike most termites in the United States, these termites can feed on living trees as well as dead ones. These termites get their strange name from the cone-shaped heads of the soldier caste. These cone-shaped heads secrete a pine-smelling chemical substance that wards off enemies. The presence of conehead termites can be indicated by mud tubes that span the length of trees. These long mud tubes can also be found spanning the sides of houses, fences and many other wooden surfaces. The nests that conehead termites build are also unique when compared to the nests built by other termite species in America. The nests are relatively large, and they can be found on tree branches, near trees or even within trees. Their nests can also be found on open areas of ground or hidden within dense vegetation, as they were on the property that they had infested up until recently.

Do you think that conehead termites will reappear in Dania Beach before the year is over?