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MOSQUITOES |
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F.A.Q. |
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RODENTS |
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TERMITES |
Frequently Asked QuestionsQ. What can I do to keep my house from getting infested by termites? A. Regular inspections, and treatments if necessary, are the best way to prevent termite infestations and damage. Keep your home in good repair. Repair roof leaks and maintain the vegetation around your home at least 18 inches away from the structure. For more information, please review the termite fact sheet located at www.nomtcb.com .
Q. I have found termites (or evidence of recent termite damage) at my house – what should I do? A. The city does not provide termite eradication in private homes, so you will have to call a private pest control company. You may want to call several companies to compare treatment and prices. For questions about treatment options available to the homeowner, call the entomologist at NOMTCB for more information. Termite control is a professional market and it is not recommended for a homeowner to do their own termite treatment.
Q. I seem to have a lot of mosquitoes biting around my house. Can you do an extra spraying in my neighborhood? A. We will take your information, and determine if a premise inspection or treatment spraying is necessary.
Q. What I can I do to reduce the number of mosquitoes around my house? A. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so it is extremely important that you make sure you are not providing them with a breeding ground. Old tires, flower pots, buckets, basins – anything that holds water and is left outside is potentially a mosquito breeding site. Inspect your entire property after the next rainfall, and either cover, turn upside down or remove anything that is holding water. Remember to clean your roof gutters, where leaves or faulty gutters could hold water and breed mosquitoes. If you need more information on where mosquitoes breed, contact NOMTCB at (504)658-2400.
Q: I have an alligator outside my house! What do I do? A: Call the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries department at 1-800-443-2511
Q: What do I do about nuisance animals on my property or in my neighborhood? A: The City of New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board inspectors are not licensed to handle nuisance animals. However, please refer to their website for companies licensed for wildlife removal. The City of New Orleans does not have any affiliations with the listed companies and organizations, we are just providing various options for the homeowner. Please click on the nuisance animals link on the left for more information.
Q: How can you tell if termite evidence found is caused by subterranean or Formosan termites? A: Actually, this brings up a good point and one that I think people should be clear on. Formosan termites are subterranean termites. In fact, their full common name is the Formosan subterranean termite (FST). Termites are commonly classified by their habitat requirements/preferences (i.e. drywood, dampwood, subterranean). Our native Reticulitermes, Heterotermes and the Formosan are all classified as subterranean termites. When termite evidence is found without any live foragers, determining the species of subterranean termite is difficult. Attention should be paid when inspecting the evidence. Occasionally, wings or soldier head capsules can be found in or around abandoned feeding sites or foraging galleries. This is really the only time that termite evidence can be considered completely diagnostic (although not up to date, some example ID keys can be seen at www.termitesurvey.com). However, there are some other factors that can indicate whether the evidence resulted from the activities of the Formosan or other subterranean termite species. The primary characteristic is the presence of carton material. Carton is a combination of frass, soil, cellulose and saliva. The presence of carton indicates that the damage resulted from Formosan activity. However, occasionally when Reticulitermes (our native subterranean termites) infestation go unchecked and are allowed to build up, the gallery system may be mistaken for FST carton. Another indicator is the general appearance of the galleries within the damaged wood. FST galleries tend to appear “cleaner” than those of Reticulitermes. This is most likely the result of increased fecal staining in FST galleries and increased “mudding” in Reticulitermes galleries. Experience inspecting properties damaged by FST and other subterranean species increases the likelihood of correctly identifying species by the evidence. However, again, these indicators cannot be considered completely diagnostic.
Q: Which types of termite control are best? A: The choice of which type of termite remedial treatment to utilize should be made only after considering several factors such as termite species, construction type, customer expectations, location and degree of infestation/damage, and any special/unique considerations. For example, in a situation where the pest is identified as a drywood species and the infestation is limited to a bookshelf or other piece of furniture (verified by a thorough inspection), the best remediation strategy may simply be removal of the infested materials. The best option for termite control, however, is prevention. Preventative strategies include exclusion (i.e. use of termiticide impregnated vapor barriers, stainless steel mesh or other physical barriers), use of non-cellulose building materials, sanitation, and moisture problem remediation. Spending a little time considering these factors during construction or eliminating conducive conditions post-construction may allow the homeowner or business owner to avoid having to make the remediation type decision. Visit www.nomtcb.com to download a termite fact sheet.
Q: What are carton nests and why are they so effective in protecting a termite colony? A: Carton material is a combination of frass, soil, cellulose and saliva. Large carton structures are formed first as a series of interconnected foraging tunnels. Larger foraging galleries and cells with thickened walls are constructed as termites continue to add to this elaborate gallery system. When the soil used in construction is primarily sand or when lime is incorporated, the carton can take on an almost masonry-like density. Although these structures are commonly referred to as carton “nests”, it is important to note that not all carton material contains reproductives or brood. Therefore, it should not be presumed that removing a carton “nest” from a structure eliminates the source of the infestation. The thickened walls of the carton help protect termites and the large structures provide areas for termites to retreat when threatened. However, the primary advantage of the carton is that it provides the capacity to store water, which results in an increased ability to exploit above |