Although termites are not welcome house guests, they are actually helpful when they aren't in our homes. Termites are one of the few animals with the ability to digest cellulose, or wood, and they are valuable contributors of nitrogen to the air we breath. However, when termites invade personal homes, they cross the line between being helpful and being harmful.
Termites are beneficial when they are out in the woods.
Jarratt said termites are primarily tropical insects. There are several hundred species of termites throughout the world, but only a few of those are found in Mississippi. Another species is the Formosan subterranean termite. The Formosan termites generally have larger colonies and may be more tolerant of pesticides. Over time the Formosan subterranean termites have spread over the southeastern states.