If termites come chewing at your doorframes this year, just thank your lucky stars they aren't Formosan termites. Formosan termites are eating their way up and down the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida. They've made tracks into Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and California, said Mark Hunter, an ecologist in Athens. While they currently are going gangbusters mostly in moist climates, Formosan termites could theoretically survive farther north, including Missouri and Kansas.
Formosan termites have several endearing characteristics.
Eradicating them is a serious challenge. Chemical barriers in the soil are no match. While most termites feed on dead trees and wood, Formosan termites will attack living plants. About 30 percent of the famed live oak trees around New Orleans are infested. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is engaged in a major research project to rein in the species.