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In this video we are going to tell you about US infestation of the Formosin above ground
termites, provide research how we believe this destructive insect entered America, provide
everglade facts, and we are going to have some fun.
American Subterranean Termite can have several hundred thousand termites live under ground
and travel up into the home through mud shelter tubes. The new invader "The Formosan Termite"
can have millions of termites and only needs humidity, warmth, and lives in the walls of
your home. Both termites produce more that 100 million dollars of damage per year in
USA. The Formosan Termite which originated from
China was transported to Formosa; Taiwan where it got's it name. It was then transported
to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and finally Cuba. Today, the Formosan Termite has invaded the
USA and eating up our homes. It was this reason we went to search for the above ground Formosan
Termite and explain how it entered the USA. This breed of termite needs warmth and humidity,
so we traveled to the everglades of Florida. We booked a Super 8 hotel in Forty Myers which
sparingly provided toilet paper, towels, and had an "Out Of Order" elevator. We were on
a budget because we personally paid for this trip with no government grants available unless
you wanted to study methane gas emissions from dairy cows, paint a Chinook salmon on
an Alaskan Air planes, study California Tattoo removal, or train Chinese prostitutes to drink
responsibly. Our fist stop was Fort Myers beach where we
talked to several locals who combed the sandy beach with metal detectors and rented out
beach chairs. They thought termites were some type of swamp flue, so we decided to head
closer toward the everglades. We headed down US highway 41 also known as "The Tamiamai
Trail" which was constructed in 1928. This road acted like a dam in the everglades, blocking
the natural flow of fresh water from Lake Okeechobee, which caused damage to fish production,
wading-bird nesting sites, and other plant life. Without the southerly-flowing fresh
water, salt water seeped further inland, damaging the everglades. Luckily, the government stepped
in and added bridges, tall fences, and lowered the evening speed limits to help protect the
wildlife and provide a better fresh water flow to the everglades. As we traveled on
this Highway which was full of alligators and conveniently called "Alligator Alley,
we stopped slightly short of Everglade City in a town called Estrus Florida, to check
out the "Koreshan Unity Settlement" which was once run by Dr. Cyrus Teed, a cult leader
who convinced hundreds of people in late 1800's, to live in a communistic community. This cult
leader believed that the earth was hollow and that sun, moon, seven planets, and the
universe existed on the inside of the earth. We inspected all five of these 100 year old
Koreshan structures and only found a few red ant colonies
We continued our journey toward the Everglades and stopped at the Naples "Swamp Buggy Race
Track". We were very lucky because they were having their Spring Swamp Buggy Race. Swamp
Buggies also known as "Tumble Bugs" were used in the Everglades in the 1930s because they
traveled dry land, shallow mud, sand, shallow water, through dense vegetation, over logs
and they floated. This "Mile O Mud" or 7/8 of a mile round tack with one diagonal lane
through the middle had three hidden deep mud drops with the largest called the Sippy Hole
were some buggies can stall or get stuck.
Before the race started, thousands of people listened to a southern boy sing the National
anthem, followed by a 30 Christian prayer, and finally a plea to the US government to
stop taking the locals land. The U. S. government does own 30% of all American land and now
we have foreign investors who have recently purchase over 2 % of American agriculture
land. From our research, it appears everglade areas have been acquired by the government
to help preserve the everglade ecosystem, unlike other areas that have been acquired
for oil, coal, gas, uranium, forests and farm land. While at the race, one of the Swamp
Buggy Beatty Queens said we should charter a boat and we should travel to the 10,000
everglade islands to look for these termites.
We passed many tourist trap Air Boat rides that require ear protection and ended at the
furthest boat rental area in the everglades on Chokoloskee Island. Our captain was a 5th
generation native named Captain Corey Mac. He took us too several Everglade islands to
search for the termite. We did find the famous outlaw Mr. Watson's Place where a century
ago he manufactured sugarcane. He would hire people to work and when they asked for payment,
he killed them. After killing 50 + people, he was gunned down by 33 bullets from locals
of Chololoskee. We found an original Model a Ford car, and we inspected the last private
camp site which is still owned by a federal judge. We saw endangered species like the
"Bald Eagle", the Roseate Spoonbill, several manatees, and some fun jumping dolphins. Our
last and final stop was the famous "Smallwood's Trading Post" or the "Ole Indian Trading Post
and Museum" which is now a historical site. This museum had many old artifacts, old medicine
bottles, old candy boxes, old cooking utensils, and an old refrigerator that ran on gas. We
noticed a wax figure of the original owner of this trading post named Ted Smallwood.
In 1891, Ted Smallwood started the post office box 310 and used the store for the local island
gatherings, and mail sorting. Ted Smallwood would trade with the Indians
and with Cuba; He received mail for the locals, and delivers mail to Marco Island and other
Gulf Cities. While examining the Post Office area, we noticed it was made of old wood mail
and trading crates. Looking more closely, we notice structural damage done by Formosan
Termites because of the fecal pellets that were left behind in their destructive galleries.
Ted Smallwood may have obtained these Formosan Termites from Cuba in these wood crates. These
termites were then transported to Marco Island and other Gulf Cities through the mail service.
So now, you know the story, China, Taiwan, Japan, Hawaii, Cuba and Ted Smallwood Trading
Post in Chokoloskee Island, Marco Island, and then the Gulf Cities, with heavy infestation
in Baton Rouge Louisiana. Now 100 years later, this Formosan Termite has started to infest
the northern states of America. Ohio has already had numerous Formosan termite Infestations.
Now you have to wonder. Is this Marko Vovk Character for real? Did Marko just solve the
USA Formosan Termite Invasion problem without a 10 million dollar grant in just three days
for under $1,000? Did he just explained all this in less than 1000 words and not a 50,
000 page governmental document? Well, if you think, you have a better story, go ahead,
and put in the comment section. For now, this is the only story in the USA and I'm sticking
with it.