The Worst Western U.S. Cities For Termites

Worst Cities for Termites in the Western US: California & Arizona

In the western part of the United States, termites have done a great job of adapting so that they can thrive in the warm and wet seasons in states like California, Arizona, Nevada, and the entire Pacific Northwest.  This means that not only are termites a threat during very specific times of the year but they pose a threat all year long in this area of the country. If you live in the Western United States or you are considering moving to this area of the country, it’s important that you know which cities you may want to avoid. In this post, we are going to give you a bit more information about the types of termites that could be infesting your home, as well as the five worst cities to live in if you don’t want to worry about termites infesting your home.

Termite Types

The Westernmost part of the United States has an insanely high number of termite species. However, there are some that are more prevalent in this geographic region than others. This includes the following:

Drywood Termites

These termites don’t like to spends as much of their time in the dirt as other species of termites. Instead, the like to find their homes in the cracks that are in homes and in wood. For the most part, they will simply burrow their way into old wooden structures and logs. When you have an infestation of drywood termites, you may not see any mud tubes, but you will begin to notice damage to the wood around your home.

Dampwood Termites

As the name suggests, dampwood termites like to occupy wood that is damp. If you want to avoid having this type of termite invade your home, making sure that all the wood in your home remains water-free is imperative. These termites are especially common in the Pacific Northwest as they are attracted to wild and wooded areas, which Oregon and Washington State are rife with.

Western Subterranean Termites

These are the most common species of termite in the western United States. The Western Subterranean Termite is known to create mud tubes to travel between their colony and their food sources. You can often see them near the ground or crawling up the sides of buildings.

Termite Protection

The Worst Cities For Termites

Tucson, AZ

Arizona acts as a home to mostly Subterranean Termites, however, Tucson is known to be the home to a number of drywood termites that will often cause more damage than their subterranean counterparts. This is often because this species does not leave behind mud tubes and therefore an infestation can last a lot longer as they are harder to detect. Many times, homes in Tucson are too far gone from termite damage to redeem by the time the problem is identified.

Santa Maria, CA

Not too far from downtown L.A., Santa Maria is located close enough to the coast that it attracts a number of people and is considered to be a very desirable place to live. On the other hand, there are both dampwood and subterranean termites found in this area as the climate is incredibly favorable to these picky pests.

Scottsdale, AZ

In the easternmost part of Maricopa County sits Scottsdale. This city is densely populated and in the spring, you will begin to see termites swarming around and beginning to make their new nests. Because of the large population in this area, there is more than enough wood for all of these termites to never run short on food.

Phoenix, AZ

Much like Scottsdale, and located relatively closer it is Phoenix. This metropolis is one of the most active termite centers in the country. As the fifth most populous city in the United States, Phoenix has a similar issue to its neighbor city in that there are plenty of structures for termites to hide out in. The expansion of the city has also recently led to some issues as new homes are having to be fumigated before homeowners even move into them.

Los Angeles. CA

The city with the most severe termite problem in the Western United States is Los Angeles. As the second largest city in the entire country, and with a warm climate for nearly the entire year, termites are moving to L.A. to make it big. When they find a space, it doesn’t take long for them to completely overrun it, causing severe damage to homes, businesses and more.

Termites In Sacramento

As an area with great weather and not too far from the ocean, Sacramento is also a hot-spot for termite infestations. If you discover or even suspect that you might have an issue with termites in your home or business in Sacramento, contact Earthwise Pest Management today! We would be happy to come inspect your home and redeem it from the termites before the damage gets too severe.