Native subterranean termites are found throughout Louisiana and are a natural part of the environment in Louisiana. Formosan subterranean termites, native to East Asia, arrived in the United States after World War II and were established in New Orleans by 1966.

One important key for successful management of a pest is to identify it. This publication can help you differentiate between ants and the dry-wood and subterranean termites that are pests in Louisiana. It also contains specific information on Formosan subterranean termites.

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

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

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

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.

Learn how to inspect and treat your home for Formosan termites as well as common problem areas to look for.

Detecting termites in trees can be helped by a few tips on where to look.

Identifying to species, recognizing problems and having a sound knowledge of control techniques can help in solving a termite problem.

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.