Termites in Florida: Why This State Is Ground Zero

Warmth, humidity, sandy soil and a long building season make Florida the most termite-active state in the country. Three groups matter to homeowners here, and they behave differently enough that confusing them leads to the wrong treatment.

Drywood Termites

Drywoods live inside dry wood: roof framing, trim, furniture. They need no soil contact, swarm in spring and early summer (often at dusk after rain), and announce themselves with frass piles. Widespread infestations are solved with tent fumigation.

Eastern Subterranean Termites

The classic Florida species: colonies in the soil, mud tubes up the foundation, swarmers in late winter and spring. Treatment is a soil barrier or baiting system, plus fixing the moisture and wood-to-ground contact that invited them.

Formosan Termites

An invasive subterranean species established across Central Florida. Colonies can number in the millions, swarm on humid May and June evenings, and sometimes build carton nests inside walls that let them live above ground. Formosans demand aggressive soil treatment and long-term monitoring.

A Swarm Calendar, Roughly

Subterraneans: February to April. Drywoods: April to July, often after rain. Formosans: May to June evenings. In practice, Central Florida inspectors find activity in every month, which is why annual inspections, not seasonal panic, are the right rhythm.

The Florida Homeowner's Playbook

Keep mulch and soil below the siding line, fix leaks fast, store firewood away from the house, get an annual inspection, and treat early while the problem is small. If you are buying, insist on a current WDO report. The full treatment picture is on our termite treatment page.