Invasive termites dining in our homes will soon be a reality in most cities, says research [View all]

[Jim__]

From phys.org

With climate change continuing its relentless march, the world faces not only rising temperatures and extreme weather but also an insidious threat to our homes: invasive termites. And the bill could be steep; invasive termites currently cost over US $40 billion annually.

In a new study published in Neobiota, Ph.D. student Edouard Duquesne and Professor Denis Fournier from the Evolutionary Biology & Ecology lab (Université libre de Bruxelles) unveil the unsettling reality of invasive termites' potential expansion into new territories.

Their research reveals that as temperatures rise and climate patterns shift, cities worldwide, from tropical hotspots like Miami, Sao Paulo, Lagos, Jakarta, or Darwin to temperate metropolises like Paris, Brussels, London, New York, or Tokyo, could soon find themselves under siege by these tiny yet destructive pests.

But how do termites, typically associated with tropical climates, find their way into cities far beyond their natural habitat? The answer lies in the interconnectedness of our modern world. Urbanization, with its dense populations and bustling trade networks, provides the perfect breeding ground for termite invasions.

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