New study shows invasive termites threatening homes in Florida are spreading farther than predicted
- A new study from the University of Florida has found that two highly destructive invasive termite species have spread well beyond South Florida and are now threatening homes and buildings across much of the state.
- Decades of monitoring data show the spread is accelerating, with the Asian subterranean termite moving steadily north and the Formosan termite now established in most coastal counties and major urban centers, potentially putting all of Florida at risk by mid century.
- Long term partnerships with pest control professionals have proven critical, dramatically improving early detection, mapping and risk assessments creating a model now being expanded for termite monitoring nationwide.
Florida’s coastal and urban counties continue to see the spread of two invasive termite species beyond South Florida. The species are now threatening structures statewide, according to a new University of Florida study.
According to the study based on more than three decades of monitoring data, the Formosan subterranean termite and the Asian subterranean termite continue to expand their range showing no signs of slowing,
Drawing from records collected between 1990 to 2025 as part of the University of Florida Termite Collection, Thomas Chouvenc, a UF associate professor of urban entomology at the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), analyzed long-term distribution trends of both invasive species. The study, published in the Journal of Economic Entomology, documents their ongoing spread and establishment in new areas, underscoring a persistent growing threat to other parts of the South.
“Because the spread of these invasive termite species was underestimated for decades due to inconsistent reporting across the state, it has been unclear which communities are currently experiencing damage from these species and which communities are about to experience them,” said Chouvenc.
The collection underscores how a longstanding partnership between UF/IFAS researchers and hundreds of pest control providers statewide, and in many cases across the globe, has made monitoring a critical first step toward management success.
“Subterranean termites have a cryptic lifestyle, where early detection of their activity is challenging, and where one would only notice them when damage is already extensive,” he said. “Not only are they hard to detect without regular professional inspections, but they are also rarely reported, making the tracking of their spread much more difficult.”
The Asian subterranean termite has expanded beyond its previously assumed range. Once thought to be largely confined to South Florida, the study documents its establishment in new places as far north as Brevard County on the southeast coast and Hillsborough County on the Gulf Coast. Researchers now expect that the species will eventually be detected in all 24 of Florida’s southernmost counties before 2040.
The study also confirms that the Formosan subterranean termite is no longer confined to few cities. It is now established across most of Florida’s coastal counties and in most large urban centers statewide. Based on current trends, the study determined there is a high likelihood that the Formosan subterranean termite will be detected in all of Florida before 2050.
With a special focus on South Florida, the study also confirms the accuracy of a projection made in 2016 that about half of all structures in the urban South Florida metropolitan area could be at risk of infestation by one or both invasive termite species by around 2040. The new study indicates that this forecast remains on track.
A key finding of the study highlights a long-running partnership between UF/IFAS researchers and hundreds of pest control providers across Florida through the Florida Termite ID Services program. That collaboration has significantly improved the accuracy and resolution of termite distribution data, allowing researchers to track where and when invasive species establish in new communities.
The results are reflected in UF/IFAS’s publicly available Florida termite distribution map, which provides a comprehensive picture of how far invasive termites have spread across Florida.
“With increasing participation of companies, we have improved our understanding of where and when these invasive species are establishing in new localities,” he said.
As participation from pest management companies increased over the past decade, researchers were able to refine species identification, expand geographic coverage and better assess community-level risk.
While rooted in Florida, the study’s implications extend nationwide with its collective monitoring framework informing a newly established North American Termite Survey and offering a model for improved early detection and risk identification across the United States.
“This partnership has given us a much clearer picture of where these termite species are established, as shown on our public distribution map,” he said. “But we know there are still unreported areas, and we encourage pest control providers statewide to submit samples. Knowing where they are is half the battle.”
