Formosan Termites - An urban legend?

Sort of.
No doubt many of you received that infamous email about these termites being embedded in hundreds of thousands of bags of mulch from trees downed by last falls southern hurricanes.

While it is true that this larger species of termite is more pesticide-resistant than domestic termites, they are definitely not included in bags of mulch from Lowes or Home Depot and couldn't survive a winter here in Ohio if they were somehow transported here.

They were introduced to Gulf port states some 50 years ago on ships from East Asia and although they can migrate on their own, they are usually spread primarily through human transport.

Your garden variety termite is still a big deal though. Termites do more than $1 billion in damage each year and not a week goes by when I don't hear a story that has to do with termite damage. Most lenders require a termite inspection prior to authorizing your mortgage. Even if it isn't a condition to your mortgage, have a termite inspection done by a certified inspector. This picture shows what termite damage may look like in a floor joist or ceiling beam.