American termites are causing increasing amounts of housing damage in Japan because they are more difficult to exterminate than their domestic counterparts, the Japan Termite Control Association has warned.
Unlike domestic species, such as the Japanese subterranean termite, which prefers damp environments and infests the lower areas of homes where they are easier to exterminate, American drywood termites survive longer in dry areas, tend to scatter throughout residences and can easily spread to neighboring areas.
The Tokyo-based association said American drywood termites originating from North America were first discovered in Tokyo in 1976 and appeared sporadically thereafter. But reports have been rising dramatically since 2000.