Overview
- Video from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office on Tuesday night showed swarms engulfing cars and neighborhoods.
- Residents woke Wednesday to heavy numbers of dead and live termites inside homes, garages, and on porches.
- Termite specialists say heavy rain and warm nights trigger mass flights as the insects search for moist wood and mates.
- Pest experts caution that seeing swarmers near a house does not confirm an active infestation.
- Experts advise turning off lights and sealing gaps at night, keeping wood and moisture away from the house, and hiring licensed pros, and they note mosquito-truck spraying does not kill termites, with many protection programs costing about $300 to $400 a year.