Experts Analyze Mysterious And Highly Destructive Termites That Destroyed A Man’s Home
Experts Analyze Mysterious And Highly Destructive Termites That Destroyed A Man’s Home
Many of you have heard of the new “tiny house” trend that is popular among millenials. These houses are inexpensive, easy to build and are often mobile. These houses are, of course, very small as well. When these houses are made out of wood, owners should be seriously concerned about possible termite infestations. After all, what is considered a small amount of termite damage in a regular sized house may be substantial damage to a tiny house. Unfortunately, one New Zealand man found that his newly purchased tiny house had become unlivable due to a short-lived termite infestation. The termites were particularly destructive and the tiny house owner did not recognize the species as a native to New Zealand. In order to identify the termite species responsible for such advanced damage, several of the mysterious specimens were sent to professional entomologists in order to be analyzed.
According to the man who owned the tiny house, Luke Concannon, spending his first night in the house was “like a termite hell”. The interior of his new house showed several signs of a termite presence. There were termite wings scattered over every object in the house. Concannon also noticed several small “ant-like” insects crawling all over the walls and floor. Concannon managed to find a few termite specimens. The specimens did not resemble any of the three termite species that are native to New Zealand. Concannon sent the specimens to the Ministry for Primary Industries in order to have them identified.
The termite swarm that had apparently plowed through Concannon’s house only lasted three days. The three native species do not swarm at this time of year and they are not typically considered pests. Instead the termite culprits may have been Australian subterranean termites. These termites are highly destructive pests that are invasive in New Zealand. However, it is believed that only a few small Australian termite colonies exist in New Zealand. It seems that Concannon’s tiny house was likely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Concannon is still awaiting analysis results from the lab where his specimen was sent.
Do you believe that many termite pests from Australia have reached New Zealand without being noticed by officials within the island country?