The annual alate swarm of Formosan subterranean termites in New Orleans’ French Quarter: What does it reveal about progress in the area-wide program?

The swarming season for alate flight of the formosan subterranean termite in metropolitan New Orleans begins in early spring, reaches its peak in May, extending for the first two weeks of June and tapering off until there are no more significant swarming events through July when alate trapping was discontinued. This pattern has been mostly consistent during the ten years of the Operation Full Stop Program, with some modification in the timing of the first significant swarm presumably because of prevailing temperatures and weather patterns occurring in the area. The overall size of the swarming events in the French Quarter has declined as French Quarter neighborhoods have been included in the program. However, decline has leveled and this is believed due to persistent above ground infestations in certain near-by structures as revealed by inspection. The consistent pattern of the location of the most active alate traps also suggests that these above ground infestations continue to contribute to alate swarming in the French Quarter. Future successes in the program are dependant upon specifically identifying these above ground infestations and applying appropriate treatment to eliminate their sources.