Termites are so bad in Florida that the state is holding steadfast in first place for damage from the wood-eating insects.
This is one of those stories that will leave you itching.
In South Florida, two of the worst are Asian and Formosan subterranean termites. They live underground, unnoticed, and chew through a wooden home until damage becomes so extensive that it gets noticed.
No surprises here, but the termite-control company Terminix was behind the poll, which accumulated its own service data to find Sunshine State residents most often called for termite control services last year. And in 2024. And in 2023…
The finding is as predictable as the one from the national air-conditioning firm that found Florida ranked second in the country in homes with mold problems. Really?
Such obvious environmental stories still qualify as news, though, because they remind everyone to pay attention to what’s become the everyday in Florida. It’s the same reason the twice-yearly stories about daylight savings time make the news, reminding us to wind our clocks one hour backward or forward – or is it forward and back?
Termites, mold, and other environmental nasties -- fire ants, murder hornets, rats – can do real damage.
Termites, if not found and treated, often cause tens of thousands of dollars of damage in wooden homes, if not more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says mold contributes to the 7,300 people whose deaths are linked to fungal diseases every year in America. At least 130,000 more are so sickened by mold that they are admitted to a hospital.
Since 2016, the Florida Department of Health has recorded 448 cases and 100 deaths tied to the so-called flesh-eating bacteria.
Mosquitos spread 27 locally acquired dengue cases reported in Florida two years ago, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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