Formosan Termites Discovered in Brazos County

COLLEGE STATION - A common underground pest in Galveston, Houston, New Orleans and 29 counties in Texas has finally been found in College Station by consulting urban and industrial entomologist Dr. Ted Granovsky, board certified entomologist.

Winged samples of the introduced, invasive Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, were collected on East University Drive late Saturday evening and have been confirmed by Dr. Grady J. Glenn, a Texas AgriLife Extension Service program specialist with Agricultural & Environmental Safety, Pesticide Safety Education Program and board certified entomologist.

“Swarming of Formosan termite reproductives occur on or near Mother’s Day in New Orleans and many other Gulf Coast cities,” Glenn said, who conducted his doctoral research on the spread and pest management of the Formosan termites in Texas.

Although these insects were first found near the Houston Ship Channel around 1956 and have been spread to many of the larger metropolitan areas in the state, this is the first time they have been found in Brazos County.

Information about these termites can be found at http://termites.tamu.edu. The website, maintained by the Center for Urban & Structural Entomology at Texas A&M University, includes a map illustrating the current counties in Texas that have a confirmed infestation of Formosan termites. Dr. Roger E. Gold is the endowed chair of the Urban Entomology Center in the department of entomology at Texas A&M, which has scientists actively involved in the research of Formosan subterranean termites and other arthropods affecting urban populations.

“These insects are one of the most aggressive and economically important termites in the U.S.,” Glenn said. “Like other termites, these insects feed on materials containing cellulose, but they are known to attack a larger variety of wood and many species of live trees, including oak and pecan trees. They can have colonies well in excess of one million insects; whereas, common subterranean termites in this area have only about a tenth as many individuals.

AgriLife Extension has indicated that homeowners and pest management professionals should be on the watch for infestations of these termites anywhere in Texas.

Granovsky observed and collected the orange colored, winged adult termites near storefront lights on East University Dr. near Texas 6 Bypass the evening before Mother’s Day. Having conducted research with termites since 1979, including Coptotermes spp. termites in Brazil and Mexico, he immediately recognized that this was not the typical subterranean termite native to this area, Glenn said.

“The swarming of native subterranean termites occurs during the day, while Formosan subterranean termite swarms begin to occur during the evening, and the reproductive swarmers are attracted to lights,” Glenn said.

On Mother’s Day, Granovsky confirmed identification of these insects at his Bryan offices and contacted Glenn about the find.

“Finding this insect here seems a bit overdue to me,” Glenn said. “After-all, these insects have been found in many areas of Texas, from the Rio Grande Valley to the Dallas area, but people really need to know about this termite species now being in our area, and a search for the source of the swarm needs to be made.”

The discovery of the Formosan subterranean termite in Brazos County should be a motivation for extra diligence in termite inspections of homes, businesses, and trees. Research has been conducted that has resulted in effective means of control for this species of termite, whether in a structure or in trees, Glenn said.

The AgriLife Extension bulletin E-367, “Formosan Subterranean Termites”, is available at http://agrilifebookstore.org. It contains information related to their identification, biology, prevention, and pest management.