The Resilient Formosan Termite and His Kin

The effects of Hurricane Katrina are still present in some locations in Louisiana. Many buildings were destroyed, flooded, and washed away forever. Lives were lost and entire families were uprooted because of this act of nature. One creature didn’t see as much disruption to its life as humans did. The Formosan termite came back almost as strong after the hurricane as it was before.

Termite Control and Termite Resilience

Most experts agree that every building in the southern half of Louisiana has or will have termites at some point. There are just so many of the insects that no known treatment can control them all.

Twenty colonies of Formosan termites were under study in New Orleans before the hurricane did its destruction. It would seem that since termites are in the ground, the floodwaters would have brought a tremendous reduction to their numbers, but the Louisiana bugs proved everyone wrong. Once researchers were able to go back to their studies, they found seventeen of the colonies fully intact, as if nothing had happened.

Termite Elimination and Resistant Termites

Termites have always shown great resilience against anything thrown at them. Pesticides that were successful early often became ineffectual because the insects built up immunity to them. In some instances, it has been shown that diseased or chemical sickened termites have been ostracized from the colony to protect the larger group.

This group intelligence that termites seem to have makes it imperative to seek professional pest control for your home and/or business. You cannot simply ignore them because they affect the vast majority of commercial and residential buildings.