A series of workshops have been scheduled over the next two weeks to help area homeowners fight what has been called a breed of “super termites.” Florida Representative Doug Broxson will be hosting the four free workshop around the area to warn homeowners and help them prepare for these pests.
Formosan Termites are an invasive species that is native to Asia and was first found in the southwest United States in the 1960s. A report on the species in 2003 called it, “the most destructive, difficult to control and economically important species of termite in the southern United States."
Representative Doug Broxson says the species thrives in our area, saying only the New Orleans region has more of these termite than our three county area (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa).
During the free workshops, Broxson along with representatives from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the University Of Florida Institute Of Food and Agriculture Science’s Extension Offices will educate homeowners about methods to control these termites. Broxson also says homeowners should bring in any termite control contracts they have entered into to see if they will cover the damage from Formosan Termites. The workshops will also cover Florida laws and building codes pertaining to all termites.
The workshops are scheduled now because the termites will begin swarming around Mother's Day.
There will be four workshops in all. The first one is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Escambia County extension office in Cantonment. The next is for South Santa Rosa County at the Tiger Point Community Center Thursday evening at 6 p.m.. Next week, there will be a workshop in North Santa Rosa County, at the extension office in Milton, Tuesday, April 14 at 6pm. The final workshop will be in Okaloosa County Wednesday, April 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Niceville Community Center. Preregistration is suggested but not required.
