Read an article about scientists at the University of Florida discovering a new termite which is a hybrid species formed from the Asian termite and the Formosan subterranean termite. These two non-native species are now mating and have created a “super” termite which grows faster, eats more wood and can handle colder climates.

Not good news since termites already damage 600,000 homes per year in the US and we spend $5 BILLION on damage repair and treatments.

Sadly, this new termite species is 100% man-caused because we imported the Asian termite on ships and cargo into the US as we did with the Formosan termite. We introduced them to each through the “termite dating service” known as wood homes.

Nobody talks about how much embodied energy and pollution is caused when 600,000 homes per year are damaged by termites and crews have to come out, demolish, fill landfills, spray chemicals, cut new lumber, etc. This process continues hundreds of thousands of times per year, year after year.