Time to turn off your lights and hide from the termites
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The two termite intruders snuck into Carlie's bathroom this week and promptly met their maker. Photo: Carlie Kollath Wells/Axios
Flying termites have returned to New Orleans, adding to our critter woes of stinging caterpillars and sneaky cockroaches.
Why it matters: We share this city with our bug friends, but we can still be grossed out by them.
The big picture: Many residents reported seeing swarms of Formosan termites this week in metro New Orleans.
- Mother's Day is the peak time for swarm season, and the termites can stick around through June.
- They prefer warm, humid, windless conditions for swarming, the LSU AgCenter says. They fly at dusk and a few hours into the evening.
Threat level: Formosan subterranean termites cause millions in damage annually and are one of the most destructive structural pests in Louisiana.
- They are an invasive species that came to New Orleans and other U.S. port cities from eastern Asia after World War II, according to information from the city.
- Formosan termites are more aggressive and greatly outnumber the native subterranean termite species.
Yes, but: They don't physically hurt people.
Be prepared: You can prevent termites in your home by sealing doors and windows.
- Turn off porch lights, close your curtains and keep windows and doors closed when they are swarming.
- Professional treatment methods are the most reliable prevention, the AgCenter advises.
State of play: Termites emerge from the ground in their winged form to look for a mate, Mark Janowiecki, a research entomologist with the city's Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board, previously told Axios.
- They come out at night and head toward lights. You can see them swarming around street lights, porch lights and lights at nighttime events, such as sporting matches.
- The vast majority that leave the colony to swarm are going to die, he said.
Threat level: It's common to see a few termites or termite wings indoors by window sills, in bathtubs, along door jambs and near lights during swarm season.
- If you see several dozen, it's not cause for alarm, Janowiecki said.
- If you see at least a hundred, get your house checked out.
Bottom line: This is one of the many — ahem — joys of living in south Louisiana, but it will be over soon enough.