Termites were eliminated by baiting in the 32-acre Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans in 2002-2003. A study followed the site over the years, to see how long it took for the area to become re-infested with termites.
Using 808 bait stations, by July 2005 termite activity was found in up to 11 stations. The park was flooded by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, but termites remained active and slowly peaked to 109 bait stations showing signs of termite activity by September 2008.
In April 2009, the researchers used genotyping and found 15 colonies in the park—8 colonies around the edges, that probably originated from colonies outside the park, and 7 inside the park, that probably came from termite swarmers starting new colonies. Both Formosan and Eastern subterranean termites were found.
The researchers concluded that termites can reinvade and completely re-populate an area where they have been controlled in only 4 ½ years. This assumes termites are abundant in the general area. The study shows the importance of ongoing monitoring and control measures.
