Considerable damage

Termites in France: A state of emergency declared

French forests in temperate zones (Charente, Southwest, Roussillon, Côte d'Azur) are the natural habitat for termites. For centuries, they have contributed to the ecological balance by feeding on dead wood and removing old layers, broken branches and other plant debris from the forest floor with impressive and surgical efficiency. In their natural habitat, termites do not feed on healthy trees, since the trees secrete protective toxins. Termites are therefore not a danger at that level...

Termites, a growing infestation

• From forest to home
  Unfortunately, termites have left their forest climate to invade buildings and chew through their wooden pieces (frames, woodwork, doors....) Over the past 10 years, this phenomenon has taken a frankly alarming turn.
  
  
• A disturbing observation
  It must be recognized: the damage caused by termites, not only in buildings in a rural setting, but also in homes and trees in urban zones, is sizeable...
  
  
• Dramatic and insidious damage
  Wood attacked by termites does not always reveal symptoms that are visible from the exterior. There is in fact always a thin layer that remains intact. As a result, it is often difficult to judge the amount of damage and its progression. Concretely, the interior of the wood is eaten in strips following the wood fibers.

No telltale sawdust reveals the presence of a termite colony because termites that pierce the exterior layer (wood surface, wallpaper, paint) quickly fill the hole with a mixture of saliva and excrement. Only a small brown spot the size of a pin head remains. Termites generally attack all the different cellulose substances. They can therefore pose a potential threat to furniture, doors, skirting boards, frames, double walls but also books, boxes, archives... In other words, if nothing is done to stop them, they can rapidly diminish property value!

• A growing scourge
  Without trying to sound alarmist, it should be noted that, little by little, the number of infested zones in France is growing: termites are slowly spreading to the North and East of the country. Today, more than 54 departments are touched by the problem in France!
  
  
• Reasons for this expansion
  A number of reasons might explain this phenomenon. The use of soft-fiber wood like pine is growing, the wood used for heating individual homes is a possible source of proliferation and transporting building materials and rubble from one region to another facilitates the inter-regional movement of termites. Even Paris is not safe from infestation: buildings in most neighborhoods are at risk and many trees have already been effected...