MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Termites continue to gnaw at the minds of consumers in California, Texas, and Florida, according to a ranking released today by Terminix.
Notably, Los Angeles remains at the top of the list for the second year in a row, with the number of California cities jumping from four to five. Philadelphia rose by five spots, while Oklahoma City dropped three. The full list is below.
1. Los Angeles, Calif.
2. San Jose, Calif.
3. San Diego, Calif.
4. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
5. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.
6. Miami, Fla.
7. Houston, Texas
8. Boston, Mass.
9. Atlanta, Ga.
10. Washington D.C.
11. Philadelphia, Pa.
12. Sacramento, Calif.
13. Oklahoma City, Okla.
14. Tampa, Fla.
15. Detroit, Mich.
16. Denver, Colo.
17. St. Louis, Mo.
18. Kansas City, Mo.
19. San Antonio, Texas
20. New York, N.Y.
This ranking was created by compiling termite-specific inbound lead data from more than 300 Terminix branches across the country. The rankings represent Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) with the highest volume of leads throughout 2015.
Los Angeles remains at the top of the list for the second year in a row, with the number of Californian cities jumping from four to five. Philadelphia rose by five spots, while Oklahoma City dropped three. Termite colonies are found in every state except Alaska, so despite their tendency to settle in warm climates, any city could be at risk for infestation.
"Weather patterns may have contributed to the decrease in termite swarm reports over the past decade," said Paul Curtis, board certified entomologist and manager of technical services at Terminix. "Recent forecasts of warmer, wetter weather could be favorable for termite swarming. But it's important to remember that termites do not depend on swarming to flourish and can cause serious damage in homes, business and other structures over time."