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Some of you may have heard about a species of termite called the Formosan Subterranean Termite which has caused significant problems in areas in Hawaii and the southeastern U.S. (most notably in places like New Orleans and Charleston). In the early 1990s, we had one confirmed incident in Holden Beach (landscaped timbers around a home). The infested landscape timbers were removed and nothing has shown up there since then. We have had other reports that were minor incidents and did not appear to involve established infestations. Some time ago, there was a reported find in Rock Hill, South Carolina but I have not heard anything further about that situation. Unfortunately, we have had a situation simmering in Rutherford County which appears to be focused around the Rutherfordton/Spindale/Forest City area, mostly near the railroad tracks that run through the towns.
During August 2003, we conducted an extensive two-day survey of the area. The we part included myself and Dr. Ed Vargo from the Entomology Department, along with personnel from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services's (NCDA&CS) Structural Pest Control Division, Plant Protection and Pesticide Sections, the North Carolina Forestry Service, the Rutherford County Cooperative Extension Service, and some local pest control companies. The Rutherford County Cooperative Extension Service office generously allowed us to use their auditorium as a base of operations. We identified several hot spots at that time and used GPS units to log their locations. This included one structure (which has been treated) and some trees. Unlike our native termites which prefer to nest in soil, the Formosan termites frequently build nests up in the trees and can cause significant damage over several years. We found termites actually in the railroad cross ties stretching over a three mile area. The survey had its obvious limits because you can't stop and check every cross tie in that large of an area (or anything approaching that size).
In May 2004, two NCDA&CS inspectors along with myself and Jan McGuinn from the Rutherford County Cooperative Extension Service office installed 10 light traps in areas near the known infestations. Hereto, unlike our native termites, Formosan termites swarm at dusk and are attracted to lights. The trap lights are actually solar-powered landscape lights that you can find at the large retail stores. The lights turn on automatically at dusk and last long enough to attract termite swarmers which get stuck to yellow sticky boards (the same type used in greenhouses for whiteflies). Jan McGuinn and one of the NCDA&CS's local inspectors have been handling the weekly trap checks. To date, we have found swarmers in 5 of the 10 traps. The bad news is that not all of the traps are right near confirmed infestations and some are in/near homes. Complicating the matter is that sections of the abandoned tracks are covered with about 8 inches of gravel and have been converted to walking trails.
NCDA&CS issued a press release on June 15 and subsequently calls have been coming in to the Rutherford County Cooperative Extension Service office. One homeowner brought in swarmers that he found in a light fixture in his house. The NCDA&CS inspector is going to follow up on this one which is over three miles from the known infested area (not a good sign).
We are currently formulating plans to treat infested trees and to install termite bait stations along sections of the railroad tracks. At least one manufacturer (Dow) has committed to donating stations and bait, although we have a bigger issue of monitoring the stations since this is a time consuming effort for which neither NCDA&CS nor North Carolina State University/Cooperative Extension Service have the staff or funds to cover it. We are hoping that local members of the pest control industry will volunteer their assistance with the monitoring/baiting. We have also had three of the traps vandalized even though each trap has a sticker on the trap identifying the ownership and purpose. Peak swarming is just about over for this species so we will be discontinuing the survey at the end of June and will expand the coverage area next year based on what we see over the months ahead.
NCDA&CS has a web page for the Formosan Termite problem along with their press releases and a map of the infested area (http://www.agr.state.nc.us/str-pest/FormosanTermites.htm).
At this point, I don't see this changing anything concerning what we tell homeowners about termites other than to stress (again) the importance of having periodic inspections. Formosan termites can be quite destructive and cause damage in a matter of one year (as opposed to several years for our native species). People in most areas of the state simply need to pay closer attention when they are doing home/yard maintenance. If they see anything that they suspect are termites, they should contact a pest control company. Residents in Rutherford County can bring samples by the Cooperative Extension Service office or, as noted in the press release, they can call the NCDA&CS at 919-733-6100.
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Last modified on June 28, 2004 by Stephen J. Toth, Jr.