NOTE: Due to budget reductions, the Formosan Termite Project was suspended effective 2010.

Formosan subterranean termites (FSTs) were first detected in Brunswick Co. in 1992 in railroad ties being used for landscaping. The infested material was moved to a landfill. No termites have been detected at the residence. FSTs were then found Rutherford Co. in 1994 and again two years later. Both of those infestations were subsequently controlled by a local pest management professional. Another infestation approximately 0.4 mile from the initial infestations was located in 2002.

With the apparent increase in activity, a project was organized to determine the extent of the infestation in nearby areas and provide information to formulate a control effort. The project currently has several phases completed or underway:

• Field Survey Program
• Light Trap Survey Program
• Control Program - Baiting
• Control Program - Tree Injection

This entire program is being conducted without additional funding. We would like to thank the following organizations and companies which volunteered time and labor or products to the survey and control efforts. Without their assistance, this project would not be possible.

For additional information about this project, contact the project coordinators.

Additional Links:

Formosan Termites in North Carolina

Pest Control Magazine article on the North Carolina Formosan Termite program

Operation FullStop (USDA-ARS)

Termite Survey (New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Board)

Genetic Analysis of Colony and Population Structure of Three Introduced Populations of the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in the Continental United States (Environmental Entomology) [PDF format]