Depth
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 18:20
Colonies of harmful termites appear to have established themselves in the Netherlands. It concerns the American ground termite, a species that can cause a lot of damage to buildings by gnawing on wood.
The first report of termites was made in 2019. They were found in a building in the countryside of South Holland. Later it turned out that the termites were also in the neighbors.
Further research made it clear that it is the American ground termite, with the Latin name Reticulitermes flavipes. It is a so-called exotic species, which does not naturally occur in the Netherlands. The termites originate from the warmer regions of the eastern United States and Mexico. They had already established themselves in other European countries such as Germany, France and Italy.
Damaged foundation
After the first report in the Netherlands, measures were taken to eradicate the animals, but they did not work. The termite colony has now spread over an area of about 1,500 square meters, containing two houses. One of them also has a greenhouse complex, according to the trade magazine Entomological Reports.
The termites have caused significant damage to the houses: the foundations have been eaten, as well as wood on the ground floor and the first floor. The bugs may also be in the roof. The safety of the buildings is therefore at risk, the researchers say.
Colonies of ground termites were later found at two other places. How big they are and how much damage they have caused is still being investigated. The location has also not been disclosed.
What are termites?
They belong to the class of insects, are white and related to cockroaches. Termites, like ants, live in colonies, where they work together. They can grow to a maximum size of about two centimeters and are mainly found in tropical and subtropical areas. A colony can consist of millions of animals, they usually live underground and make enormous nests.
A colony consists of workers (who collect food and build the nest) and soldiers (who guard the nest and chase away enemies). Each colony has a queen and a king, who take care of the offspring.
What makes termites unique is that they live exclusively on cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls. Most termites eat dead wood or withered plants and grasses.
The discovery of the termite colonies is worrying, say the Animal Pests Knowledge and Advice Center and EIS Insects Knowledge Center, which did research. Termites have occasionally been found in the Netherlands, but this involved one or at most a few dead specimens in imported goods or an animal that had traveled with holidaymakers.
From the inside
The first specimens of the current colonies most likely arrived about ten years ago with tropical plants imported from North America. That import has stopped, but the researchers take into account that the animals were able to spread further first.
American ground termites cause a lot of damage: they gnaw on wooden beams and stumps from the inside, making them difficult to see from the outside. They can be recognized because they dig mud tunnels, which protect themselves against dehydration.
Aron Kuiper/KAD
A mud tunnel dug by termites
Aron Kuiper/KAD
A tree trunk that has been eaten by termites
Aron Kuiper/KAD
Termites on the ground
In countries where insects are common, there are termite insurance policies for people with a house that is (partly) made of wood, but the premiums are high. The woodwork must also be inspected every year, which also costs money.
Dutch winters
According to the researchers, it is important that there is more knowledge about how termites spread and how they can be detected and controlled. Because it is getting warmer in the Netherlands, it is an emerging problem, they say.
It was thought that termites would not be able to withstand the Dutch winters, but that turns out not to be true. There are currently no means to combat them.
The NVWA warned earlier this year that the chance of termites settling in the Netherlands is high. It was then also determined that little is known about the risk posed by the animals.
2023-09-13 16:20:40
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