I was doing some research on termite prevention for a friend who recently moved from Maskachusetts to Florida (he and his successful hard-working wife have waved goodbye to the new progressive personal income tax rates in Massachusetts and all of the wonderful progressive programs that it supports). It turns out that the $2000-ish Sentricon system may be a reasonable insurance buy due to Formosan termites, which immigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s.
ChatGPT:
Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus) often outcompete native U.S. subterranean termites (Reticulitermes species) when they invade the same area. A Formosan colony can contain several million termites, whereas native subterranean termite colonies often have fewer than a million. They reproduce faster, so their population can overwhelm food sources before natives have a chance to recover.
Formosan termites have foraging territories up to 300 feet from the nest, much larger than that of native species. This gives them access to more food and nesting sites, putting pressure on native termite colonies.
They defend their territory aggressively, sometimes killing or driving out native termites. They consume wood more rapidly, reducing available resources for competing species.
Once they establish themselves, they tend to displace or severely reduce local native termite populations, especially in warm, humid climates like Florida, Hawaii, and the Gulf Coast.
ChatGPT provides a simple “yes” answer to “Would it be fair to say that Formosan termites are therefore replacing native termites?”
Yes — in areas where Coptotermes formosanus becomes well-established, it’s fair to say they are replacing native subterranean termites over time.
When asked “In Dayton, Ohio the total population of humans is decreasing but the immigrant human population is increasing. Would it be fair in that case to say that immigrants are replacing native-born Americans in Dayton?” however, the answer is long and nuanced! Here’s the end of the hemming and hawing:
It’s more accurate to say immigrants are increasing their share of the population as native-born numbers decline, without implying causation.
Loosely related, a restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan called “The Migrant Kitchen”:
Immigrants from where? Search assist says:
> Formosan termites, scientifically known as Coptotermes formosanus, are a highly destructive species of subterranean termites native to southern China
Globalization strikes again, maybe from packing crates? Are termites on the menu at “The Migrant Kitchen”? The key is to neutralize the formic acid, but protein is protein. (I’m not a big fan of Soylent Green though.)
Wikipedia says:
> Populations of these termites have become large enough to appear on New Orleans’ weather radars.
Think I’ll watch “I Feel Pretty” tonight, I need some escapist outlet.
Before eating at a “Migrant Kitchen” (with staff from cultures that don’t use toilet paper?), read this:
> … a curry restaurant chef prepared food after wiping bottom with his bare hands ‘for cultural reasons’ … in his kitchen was an empty bottle covered in fecal matter
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/chef-prepared-curry-after-wiping-7745790
> cultures that don’t use toilet paper
Like COVID pandemic America?
UA/OV KSUA/TM 1413/FLD SR20/TM 14:13/FL 050/TP CLD/IC SFC/TA 000/EX A/TA 000/ WX CLDS OF TERMITES/TAF RMK INSECT CLOUD; WINDSHIELD & AIRFRAME STRIKES; POSS PITOT/STATIC CONTAM; LT TURB/ICE NIL
The government said it would start allowing 1 time increases in prices while whipsawing interest rates to prevent them from becoming ongoing inflation problems. This is a departure from the zero tolerance policy of the last 40 years. That’s how we’ll make the food last.