By . Christine Show and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:03 EST, 8 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:21 EST, 8 May 2012 . Dangerous wood-eating termites that can destroy trees and damage homes are the latest infestation to turn up in Florida. The Nasutitermes corniger termite are native to the Caribbean but have now joined the 20 or so other species of termites which live in the Sunshine State. The pesky insects are the latest unusual species found in Southern Florida along with African rats, Burmese pythons, and poisonous caterpillars. Not welcome: The Nasutitermes corniger termite, which is native to the Caribbean, have been found in southern Florida. They feast on hard wood and build tunnels up the outside of houses . The arrival of the termite poses a particular problem because they feast on hardwood, foraging on trees, garden furniture and attack the outside wall of homes. The termites differ from Florida's other species because they are found above ground and can fly - making it easier for them to establish new nests. As well as milllions of termites, Florida boasts a menagerie of animals you'd be best to avoid: . The so-called Sunshine state has four types of poisonous caterpillars whose sting can cause humans to pass out in pain. Beware the saddleback caterpillar, the puss caterpillar, the io caterpillar and the hag caterpillar. Southern Florida's crocodiles, which grow up to 14 feet, have multiplied 10-fold in the last 40 years. There are about 1,500 of the reptiles. A growing population of Burmese pythons are threatening to wipe out large numbers of raccoons, opossums and other small mammals in the Everglades area. Huge Gambian pouch rats, which grow up to nine pounds, have been found on Florida's Grassy Key despite efforts to eradicate them. Boa constrictors, Nile monitor lizards, and vervet monkeys have also wreaked havoc on local animal species. They build tunnels running up the outside of houses and trees where they create beach ball sized nests weighing up to 28 kilograms. And a single nest could hold more than a million termites, Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, professor of entomology at the University of Florida, told the Sun Sentinel. 'They love to eat hardwoods. They ate the handles off garden implements, rakes and hoes — turned them into shredded wheat. If this thing really keeps going, it's going to be a problem for tropical Florida, from West Palm Beach to the Keys,' warned Scheffrahn. He worries that the new species could increase the amount of termites in the Dania Beach region by as much as 30 per cent. But agricultural officials are determined to stamp out the plague of termites before they spread any further. Currently the species have only been spotted in 42 properties in Dania Beach. However, this translates to an infestation of up to 120 colonies meaning there are already 100 million in the area. Properties in Dania Beach were treated today in a bid to banish the insects although efforts to eradicate them will be spread over four days. 'They got into the tool shed and ate our stack of firewood,' resident Martha Rosen told the Sun Sentinel. 'We went to pick it up and there was no wood left. They're very aggressive. My trees look like they're almost dead,' she added. 'Out-of-control hysterical': The io caterpillar is one of four types of venomous caterpillars to release toxins with the slightest touch that can cause people to pass out from pain . 'On fire': A saddleback caterpilalr (pictured) has been known to bring the worst pain of the four kinds of stinging caterpillars in Florida that is like having a 'bee sting times a hundred' Last month venomous caterpillars that use their spines to attack were the latest threat to the region. Dr Jeffrey Bernstein, medical director of the Florida Poison Information Center in Miami, told the Sun-Sentinel newspaper that although the center has not seen any deaths from caterpillar stings, they have gotten hundreds of calls for help with people 'out-of-control hysterical.' 'It's a very painful sting,' Dr Bernstein told the newspaper. 'We even see people pass out from the pain.' The four types of caterpillars with the awful venom include the saddleback caterpillar, the puss caterpillar, the io caterpillar and the hag caterpillar. When they attack humans, the venom can be unbearable, particularly if the saddleback releases its poison. South Florida resident Michael Stanwyck told the Sun-Sentinel: It's like somebody lit you on fire.' He went on to say: 'A bee sting times a hundred.' The species is most threatening around this time of year in Florida as the weather starts to get warmer. Eggs begin to hatch and the caterpillars grow to become moths. Some people, although rare, can have an allergic reaction to the toxins. and are encouraged to call 911 or go to hospital. They can experience vomiting, shortness of breath and other reactions. Others with less severe attacks can be treated at home by calling Poison Control. Scotch tape can be placed over the wounded area and stripped off over and over again to remove the spines from within the skin. Although their poison is painful, the caterpillars are not looking to harm anyone or anything. Jaret Daniels, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida, told the Sun-Sentinel that they are merely trying to protect themselves. The venom is used as the caterpillars' predators, like birds and lizards. Mr Daniels said: If you're a caterpillar, you have a very challenging life because everything wants to eat you. 'They're not trying to hurt you. They're doing it to avoid being eaten.' Florida has become a popular new . home for interesting creatures, including crocodiles that can grow up to 14 feet long. Protection: The hag caterpilalr is also poisonous as it tries to protect itself from birds, lizards and other attackers that can eat them and prevent them from becoming a moth . Coexist: Officials urge people to leave the venomous species, like the puss caterpillar, alone as they are not trying to hurt people with their poison that could provoke an allergic reaction to humans . The reptiles have multiplied 10-fold in the last 40 years in south Florida with about 1,500 crocodiles. But now they face a new challenge in the area because most of the places they used to call home are now inhabited by humans. Humans in Florida also have to worry about huge pythons that are wiping . out the state's mammal populations. A . burgeoning population of Burmese . pythons — many of them pets that were turned loose by their owners when . they got too big — appears to be wiping out large numbers of raccoons, . opossums, bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades, according to a . study from the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences. Here to stay?: Once crocodiles decide on a place to live, it's difficult to get them to move meaning people in Florida might have to get used to having the species listed as 'threatened' by wildlife officials . The . study found that sightings of medium-size mammals are down . dramatically — as much as 99 percent, in some cases — in areas where . pythons and other large, non-native constrictor snakes are known to be . lurking. Scientists fear . the pythons could disrupt the food chain and upset the Everglades' environmental balance in ways difficult to predict. Another species that has threatened the state's environment are giant Gambian pouch rats that have . been found on Florida's Grassy Key despite concerted efforts . by conservation officials to eradicate them. Officials . worry that the voracious rats, which grow to nine pounds, might wipe . out some crops and upset the delicate ecological balance if they manage . to reach the Florida mainland. Another creature: Crocodiles aren't the only ones taking over in Florida as burmese pythons invaded the area . The Gambian rat first appeared on Grassy Key in 1999 after eight rats escaped from a local exotic pets breeder. 'We . thought we had them whipped as of 2009,' Scott Hardin, exotic-species . coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told . keysnet.com. 'In . the early part of 2011, a resident e-mailed me and said he saw one of . the rats. We were skeptical but went back and talked to people and [saw] . there were rats that we missed,' he added. Animals love Florida: African rats the size of cats have also taken up the warm state as their new home . Concern: Officials worry that the voracious rats, which grow to nine pounds, might wipe out some crops and upset the delicate ecological balance . After four female rats were found in . 2011, officials unsuccessfully launched another effort to kill them in November and . December, primarily through the use of poison-laced cantaloupe and . peanut butter. And it might become difficult to control crocodiles' interaction with humans if that population continues to grow. Crocodiles tend to stick to an area they decided they will live in now matter how much they have moved. So even if they leave a particular spot they chose as their own for weeks and travel far away, they are likely to return. They will likely continue to be one of the many species like boa constrictors, Nile monitor lizards, . vervet monkeys and more to join the state - and wreak havoc on local animal species.
A new species of wood-eating termite, native to the Caribbean, has arrived in Florida .
By . Christine Show and Daily Mail Reporter . PUBLISHED: . 15:03 EST, 8 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 17:21 EST, 8 May 2012 . Dangerous wood-eating termites that can destroy trees and damage homes are the latest infestation to turn up in Florida. The Nasutitermes corniger termite are native to the Caribbean but have now joined the 20 or so other species of termites which live in the Sunshine State. The pesky insects are the latest unusual species found in Southern Florida along with African rats, Burmese pythons, and poisonous caterpillars. Not welcome: The Nasutitermes corniger termite, which is native to the Caribbean, have been found in southern Florida. They feast on hard wood and build tunnels up the outside of houses . The arrival of the termite poses a particular problem because they feast on hardwood, foraging on trees, garden furniture and attack the outside wall of homes. The termites differ from Florida's other species because they are found above ground and can fly - making it easier for them to establish new nests. As well as milllions of termites, Florida boasts a menagerie of animals you'd be best to avoid: . The so-called Sunshine state has four types of poisonous caterpillars whose sting can cause humans to pass out in pain. Beware the saddleback caterpillar, the puss caterpillar, the io caterpillar and the hag caterpillar. Southern Florida's crocodiles, which grow up to 14 feet, have multiplied 10-fold in the last 40 years. There are about 1,500 of the reptiles. A growing population of Burmese pythons are threatening to wipe out large numbers of raccoons, opossums and other small mammals in the Everglades area. Huge Gambian pouch rats, which grow up to nine pounds, have been found on Florida's Grassy Key despite efforts to eradicate them. Boa constrictors, Nile monitor lizards, and vervet monkeys have also wreaked havoc on local animal species. They build tunnels running up the outside of houses and trees where they create beach ball sized nests weighing up to 28 kilograms. And a single nest could hold more than a million termites, Rudolf H. Scheffrahn, professor of entomology at the University of Florida, told the Sun Sentinel. 'They love to eat hardwoods. They ate the handles off garden implements, rakes and hoes — turned them into shredded wheat. If this thing really keeps going, it's going to be a problem for tropical Florida, from West Palm Beach to the Keys,' warned Scheffrahn. He worries that the new species could increase the amount of termites in the Dania Beach region by as much as 30 per cent. But agricultural officials are determined to stamp out the plague of termites before they spread any further. Currently the species have only been spotted in 42 properties in Dania Beach. However, this translates to an infestation of up to 120 colonies meaning there are already 100 million in the area. Properties in Dania Beach were treated today in a bid to banish the insects although efforts to eradicate them will be spread over four days. 'They got into the tool shed and ate our stack of firewood,' resident Martha Rosen told the Sun Sentinel. 'We went to pick it up and there was no wood left. They're very aggressive. My trees look like they're almost dead,' she added. 'Out-of-control hysterical': The io caterpillar is one of four types of venomous caterpillars to release toxins with the slightest touch that can cause people to pass out from pain . 'On fire': A saddleback caterpilalr (pictured) has been known to bring the worst pain of the four kinds of stinging caterpillars in Florida that is like having a 'bee sting times a hundred' Last month venomous caterpillars that use their spines to attack were the latest threat to the region. Dr Jeffrey Bernstein, medical director of the Florida Poison Information Center in Miami, told the Sun-Sentinel newspaper that although the center has not seen any deaths from caterpillar stings, they have gotten hundreds of calls for help with people 'out-of-control hysterical.' 'It's a very painful sting,' Dr Bernstein told the newspaper. 'We even see people pass out from the pain.' The four types of caterpillars with the awful venom include the saddleback caterpillar, the puss caterpillar, the io caterpillar and the hag caterpillar. When they attack humans, the venom can be unbearable, particularly if the saddleback releases its poison. South Florida resident Michael Stanwyck told the Sun-Sentinel: It's like somebody lit you on fire.' He went on to say: 'A bee sting times a hundred.' The species is most threatening around this time of year in Florida as the weather starts to get warmer. Eggs begin to hatch and the caterpillars grow to become moths. Some people, although rare, can have an allergic reaction to the toxins. and are encouraged to call 911 or go to hospital. They can experience vomiting, shortness of breath and other reactions. Others with less severe attacks can be treated at home by calling Poison Control. Scotch tape can be placed over the wounded area and stripped off over and over again to remove the spines from within the skin. Although their poison is painful, the caterpillars are not looking to harm anyone or anything. Jaret Daniels, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida, told the Sun-Sentinel that they are merely trying to protect themselves. The venom is used as the caterpillars' predators, like birds and lizards. Mr Daniels said: If you're a caterpillar, you have a very challenging life because everything wants to eat you. 'They're not trying to hurt you. They're doing it to avoid being eaten.' Florida has become a popular new . home for interesting creatures, including crocodiles that can grow up to 14 feet long. Protection: The hag caterpilalr is also poisonous as it tries to protect itself from birds, lizards and other attackers that can eat them and prevent them from becoming a moth . Coexist: Officials urge people to leave the venomous species, like the puss caterpillar, alone as they are not trying to hurt people with their poison that could provoke an allergic reaction to humans . The reptiles have multiplied 10-fold in the last 40 years in south Florida with about 1,500 crocodiles. But now they face a new challenge in the area because most of the places they used to call home are now inhabited by humans. Humans in Florida also have to worry about huge pythons that are wiping . out the state's mammal populations. A . burgeoning population of Burmese . pythons — many of them pets that were turned loose by their owners when . they got too big — appears to be wiping out large numbers of raccoons, . opossums, bobcats and other mammals in the Everglades, according to a . study from the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences. Here to stay?: Once crocodiles decide on a place to live, it's difficult to get them to move meaning people in Florida might have to get used to having the species listed as 'threatened' by wildlife officials . The . study found that sightings of medium-size mammals are down . dramatically — as much as 99 percent, in some cases — in areas where . pythons and other large, non-native constrictor snakes are known to be . lurking. Scientists fear . the pythons could disrupt the food chain and upset the Everglades' environmental balance in ways difficult to predict. Another species that has threatened the state's environment are giant Gambian pouch rats that have . been found on Florida's Grassy Key despite concerted efforts . by conservation officials to eradicate them. Officials . worry that the voracious rats, which grow to nine pounds, might wipe . out some crops and upset the delicate ecological balance if they manage . to reach the Florida mainland. Another creature: Crocodiles aren't the only ones taking over in Florida as burmese pythons invaded the area . The Gambian rat first appeared on Grassy Key in 1999 after eight rats escaped from a local exotic pets breeder. 'We . thought we had them whipped as of 2009,' Scott Hardin, exotic-species . coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, told . keysnet.com. 'In . the early part of 2011, a resident e-mailed me and said he saw one of . the rats. We were skeptical but went back and talked to people and [saw] . there were rats that we missed,' he added. Animals love Florida: African rats the size of cats have also taken up the warm state as their new home . Concern: Officials worry that the voracious rats, which grow to nine pounds, might wipe out some crops and upset the delicate ecological balance . After four female rats were found in . 2011, officials unsuccessfully launched another effort to kill them in November and . December, primarily through the use of poison-laced cantaloupe and . peanut butter. And it might become difficult to control crocodiles' interaction with humans if that population continues to grow. Crocodiles tend to stick to an area they decided they will live in now matter how much they have moved. So even if they leave a particular spot they chose as their own for weeks and travel far away, they are likely to return. They will likely continue to be one of the many species like boa constrictors, Nile monitor lizards, . vervet monkeys and more to join the state - and wreak havoc on local animal species.
other species of termites which live in the corniger termite, which is native to the