METAIRIE, La. (WGNO) — It is termite time! Termites are a summer staple in New Orleans, and the insects have arrived, but the recent rain is making it worse.
“So, it is summertime in New Orleans, and it is hot, humid and we’re having some afternoon rainstorms. So, that means we’re seeing swarming termites,” said Joe Martin, a board-certified entomologist at Terminix.
They creep, crawl, swarm and ultimately can eat your house.
“In the evening you’ll see them around your lights and that means they left the mother colony. They are emitting young kings and queens to start a new colony,” he said.
But your home doesn’t have to become their home if you look out for the culprit.
“One thing to watch out for is you don’t want a sustained moisture source. Termites will find sustained moisture in a house like a leaky ice maker, leaky fridge, drip lines from air conditioning units, gutters and other clogs. When termites swarm, they find the moisture,” he said.
Martin said homeowners should have their homes inspected once a year.
“We’ve seen pockets of swarms, and they seem to be consistent the last few years. Big swarms have been reported in Lafitte, Lakeview, Metairie and Uptown. This is a great time to walk around your house and see where the termites are coming from,” Martin said.
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