Cleaning up wood debris after a hurricane or other severe windstorm can spread one of Louisiana’s most destructive pests – the Formosan subterranean termite.

Efforts are under way to prevent the spread of Formosan subterranean termites in mulch from New Orleans and Louisiana following hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It is true that there is a lot of cellulose debris (wood, paper and their products) in Louisiana following these two hurricanes.

The commissioner of agriculture in Louisiana imposed a quarantine for the Formosan subterranean termite on October 3, 2005, in Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes. The Formosan subterranean termite is the most destructive insect in Louisiana.

Termites can not eat through solid concrete. In order to enter a structure they must come up around the outside edges or enter through some other opening in the slab. Traditional termite treatments require the application of a continuous chemical barrier to the soil around all possible entry points.

Information card on where to look for termites in trees

Information card on tackling termite problems when beginning a renovation project

Information card on places to look for Formosan subterranean termite Infestations

Formosan subterranean termites are more aggressive and cause more damage than native subterranean termite species because of special biological attributes.

Formosan and subterranean termite biology, ecology and behavior are compared and contrasted.

Formosan subterranean termites swarm annually from well established colonies each April through July. LSU Agricultural Center researchers have collected numbers and maintained records on daily flights and total swarmers caught in light traps in and around New Orleans since 1989. A better understanding of the mechanisms regulating flights by Formosan termites may lead to better control measures in the future.