LA, SF Top List of Most Termite-Infested Cities in the Country

Los Angeles now owns the dubious distinction of being named the most-termite infested city in the nation, according to a report issued by Terminix, the leading provider of termite and pest control services in the United States.

Four of the top ten cities were located in California: Los Angeles ranked at the top, followed by San Francisco in second place; San Diego, which ranked fourth;, and Sacramento, in ninth place. The report issued by Terminix last week came during the National Pest Management Association’s (NPMA) Termite Awareness Week.

The top twenty most-infested cities, according to Terminix, were: 1. Los Angeles, Calif. 
2. San Francisco, Calif.
 3. Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas
 4. San Diego, Calif.
 5. Houston, Texas 
6. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
 7. Phoenix, Ariz.
 8. Atlanta, Ga.
 9. Sacramento, Calif. 
10. Oklahoma City, Okla.
 11. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. 
12. Boston, Mass. 
13. Washington, D.C.
 14. Honolulu, Hawaii
 15. Cincinnati, Ohio 
16. Philadelphia, Penn.
 17. Baton Rouge, La.
 18. New York, N.Y. 
19. Kansas City, Kan. 
20. San Antonio, Texas.

Over 300 Terminix branches across the country supplied data for the report. San Diego led the list in 2013, but Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Dallas-Forth Worth surpassed San Diego in 2014.

Doug Webb, Terminix technical specialist and expert on wood-destroying insects, explained, “Termites thrive in warm, moist environments, making southern states like California, Texas and Florida the perfect environment for their destructive behavior. But living elsewhere doesn’t mean you’re safe. Termites are active in all 50 states except Alaska, and regularly cause thousands of dollars of uninsured damage across the country.”

Terminix conducted a 2014 study that found termites cause 1 in 20 homeowners nationwide an average of $8,184 in property damage and repairs, usually not covered by a homeowners insurance policy.