Laws governing the City of New Orleans: Home Rule Charter, Code of Ordinances and the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance.
City Laws and Ordinances
Offices defined by City charter.
City Offices
Offices defined by State law.
Parish Offices
Various boards, commissions and districts defined in both City and State law.
Boards and Commissions
NOLA 311 is New Orleans’ primary source of local government information and non-emergency services. Whether you are a local resident, visitor, or business, NOLA-311 will provide a prompt, courteous and professional customer service experience.
Submit request online or dial 311 or (504) 539-3266
March 18, 2024 | From City of New Orleans
March 18, 2024 | From NOPD News
March 15, 2024 | From City of New Orleans
View all news
Access open City data via download or API.
Open Data at DataDriven
Growing library of dashboards tracking City dat and initiatives.
City Dashboards
View spatial City data including the popular Property Viewer and Streetwise.
Maps
View online City tools and other City websites.
Websites & apps
Home » Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board » Termites » Tips for Home Termite Control
Regular inspections, and treatments if necessary, are the best way to prevent termite infestations and damage. Keep your home in good repair. Repair roof leaks and maintain the vegetation around your home at least 18 inches away from the structure.
The city does not provide termite eradication in private homes, so you will have to call a private pest control company. You may want to call several companies to compare treatment and prices. For questions about treatment options available to the homeowner, call the entomologist at NOMTCB for more information. Termite control is a professional market and it is not recommended for a homeowner to do their own termite treatment.
The best option for termite control is prevention. Preventative strategies include exclusion (i.e. use of termiticide impregnated vapor barriers, stainless steel mesh or other physical barriers), use of non-cellulose building materials, sanitation, and moisture problem remediation. Spending a little time considering these factors during construction or eliminating conducive conditions post-construction may allow the homeowner or business owner to avoid having to make the remediation type decision.
Choosing termite treatments requires considering several factors such as termite species, construction type, customer expectations, location and degree of infestation/damage, and any special/unique considerations. For example, in a situation where the pest is identified as a drywood species and the infestation is limited to a bookshelf or other piece of furniture (verified by a thorough inspection), the best remediation strategy may simply be removal of the infested materials.
Carton material is a combination of frass, soil, cellulose and saliva. Large carton structures are formed first as a series of interconnected foraging tunnels. Larger foraging galleries and cells with thickened walls are constructed as termites continue to add to this elaborate gallery system.
When soil used in construction is primarily sand, or when lime is incorporated, the carton can take on a masonry-like density. Although these structures are commonly referred to as carton “nests”, it is important to note that not all carton material contains reproductives or broods. Therefore, it should not be presumed that removing a carton “nest” from a structure eliminates the source of the infestation.
Thickened walls of the carton help protect termites and the large structures provide areas for termites to retreat when threatened. However, the primary advantage of the carton is that it provides the capacity to store water, which results in an increased ability to exploit above ground moisture sources.
The most common kind of termite in New Orleans is the Formosan subterranean termite, which locates in temperate and subtropical regions (Su 2003) and is limited by temperature and humidity requirements. Populations of Formosan subterranean termites are typically located within the global area 35° north and south of the equator (Su and Tamashiro 1987.
When termite evidence is found without any live foragers, determining the species is difficult. Only if wings or soldier head capsules are found in or around abandoned feeding sites or foraging galleries can termite evidence can be considered completely diagnostic.
Click here for information on how to request assistance from the Board's trained entomologysts in identifying a bug.
Download Termite Species of Louisiana: An Identification Guide
Last updated: 11/5/2013 9:43:30 AM
Type an address to get zoning, district, and service information for your location