Termites are crafty little bugs. They are very good at what they do because they have lots of on the job training, millions of years worth. They have been around a long, long time and termites own the territory. We humans are intruders upon their space.
You often hear people express disbelief that their house is infested. They can actually hear the little buggers eating away at the bones of their home and they can't figure out why they are on the hit list. The truth is that every house in this area is sitting on top of the termite's turf. They have been eating the natural food of choice for years, way before the first pilling was driven in New Orleans. The developers came in and removed trees and brush before construction started. They added fill and graded the subdivisions to make ready for streets, sidewalks, and house slabs. the termite had to survive on what little natural woody material was left in the ground. Now you have to understand that the termite does only two things - eat and reproduce. If the only wood left in the neighborhood is your house, they have no choice but to eat it. With millions of years of self preservation in their genes, they will do anything to feed the colony to survive.
Speaking of the colony, it constitutes a huge family with possibly millions of mouths to feed. The bigger the colony, the more wood they consume. Interrupt the feeding and the termites will figure out another way to approach your house to get to the wood that they so desperately need to survive.
Some say that their house is made of brick and termites don't eat clay and mortar. True, but 99.9% of the houses in this area contain building material that is derived from wood. For example, sheetrock has a cardboard covering that termites love to eat. The sheetrock is nailed to pine studs. They love pine too. How about flooring, doors, trim work and cabinets just to name a few?
You say that you can't win against an enemy that is so well trained and committed. You can. Seek advice from a pest control professional. Termite eradication / prevention is not a do it yourself project.
JOE AZZARELLO
Board Certified Entomologist
