The Advocate does not usually report on termite or pest-related issues, so you know it must be bad when they warn, “Termites start swarming in New Orleans area, Baton Rouge could be plagued soon.” We’ve already seen evidence of termite swarms in Baton Rouge and surrounding communities, but the brunt of the swarming is yet to come. The expert consulted in the news story by the Advocate was dead on:

Activity thus far has been light, he said, but he expects Baton Rouge will see the largest swarm recorded this year.

The termites have been on the rise in Baton Rouge since 2009, when Henderson first began his census.

He tracked them in New Orleans’ French Quarter for years before that, but he moved his work to Baton Rouge after an LSU AgCenter-administered program to abate the insects in New Orleans was terminated for lack of federal funding.

The program, Operation Full Stop, had a 14-year run and reduced termites in the covered area by 95 percent.

Annually, the bugs can cause up to $300 million in damages and repairs.

To avoid them, homeowners can invest in chemical barrier treatments or tent homes in cases of serious infestations. It’s also helpful to keep outside lights off or to invest in yellow porch lights, rather than white lights, Henderson said.

This is well said. There are certainly ways homeowners can minimize their exposure to termites in Baton Rouge, but the truth is that if you really want to protect your home from termites, then you need Arceneaux Pest to come out and take a look at it.