California and Texas Hold Top Spots in Terminix Ranking of Most Termite-Ridden Cities

MEMPHIS, TN--(Marketwired - March 16, 2015) - Terminix^®, the leading provider of termite and pest control services in the United States, today released its annual ranking of the most termite-infested cities in the country. Cities in California and Texas dominated the list, earning six of the top 10 spots.

This announcement comes during the National Pest Management Association's (NPMA) Termite Awareness Week, March 15-21, 2015, during which the NPMA will educate consumers on termite damage and pest prevention.

The 2015 list of most-infested cities include:

1. Los Angeles, Calif.
2. San Francisco, Calif.
3. Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas
4. San Diego, Calif.
5. Houston, Texas
6. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
7. Phoenix, Ariz.
8. Atlanta, Ga.
9. Sacramento, Calif.
10. Oklahoma City, Okla.
11. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.
12. Boston, Mass.
13. Washington, D.C.
14. Honolulu, Hawaii
15. Cincinnati, Ohio
16. Philadelphia, Penn.
17. Baton Rouge, La.
18. New York, N.Y.
19. Kansas City, Kan.
20. San Antonio, Texas

This list was created by compiling termite-specific inbound lead data from the more than 300 Terminix branches across the country. The rankings represent Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) with the highest volume of leads throughout 2014. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas-Forth Worth and Houston all moved up the list this year, previously holding spots two, eight, five and nine, respectively. San Diego, the previous leader, dropped three spots.

"Termites thrive in warm, moist environments, making southern states like California, Texas and Florida the perfect environment for their destructive behavior," said Doug Webb, Terminix technical specialist and expert on wood-destroying insects. "But living elsewhere doesn't mean you're safe. Termites are active in all 50 states except Alaska, and regularly cause thousands of dollars of uninsured damage across the country."

According to a recent study from Harris Interactive^®, the average damage caused by termite infestations is $8,184. Most of the time, this damage is not covered by homeowners insurance.

With the Ultimate Protection® Package from Terminix, homeowners receive guaranteed protection against termite and pest threats to achieve better peace of mind. Homes that qualify for the Ultimate Protection Package receive annual inspections to monitor for termite activity and regular exterior treatments to prevent pests like ants, cockroaches and spiders from entering. If termite activity or damage is ever detected while under the plan, the structure will be treated and the damage repair costs covered by Terminix.

If you see signs of infestation, such as termite swarms or discarded wings near doors or windowsills, mud tubes or wood that sounds hollow when tapped, contact a professional pest control company such as Terminix to schedule an inspection. For more information, visit Terminix.com.

About Terminix ^®
Terminix is the leading provider of termite and pest control services in the United States. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., Terminix services approximately 2.8 million residential and commercial customers in 47 states and 22 countries. Terminix provides pest control services and protection against termites, rodents and other pests threatening human health and/or safety. Terminix is a business unit of ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV), a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services. To learn more about Terminix, visit www.Terminix.com.

About ServiceMaster ^®
ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SERV) is a leading provider of essential residential and commercial services, operating through an extensive service network of more than 8,000 company-owned, franchised and licensed locations. The company's portfolio of well-recognized brands includes Terminix^® (termite and pest control), American Home Shield^® (home warranties), ServiceMaster Restore^® (disaster restoration), ServiceMaster Clean^® (janitorial), Merry Maids^® (residential cleaning), Furniture Medic^® (furniture repair) and AmeriSpec^® (home inspections). We serve residential and commercial customers through an employee base of approximately 13,000 company associates and a franchise network that independently employs an estimated 33,000 additional people. The company is headquartered in Memphis, Tenn. Go to www.ServiceMaster.com for more information about ServiceMaster or follow the company at twitter.com/ServiceMaster or facebook.com/TheServiceMasterCo.

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