Featured Post from Louisiana State University

Springtime swarms: What you need to know about termite alates

May 8, 2025

2 min

As temperatures warm up across Louisiana, so does termite activity. Homeowners may soon begin to notice large swarms of winged insects in and around their homes. These are termite alates, also known as swarming termites.

“Swarming is how termites establish new colonies,” said LSU AgCenter entomologist Aaron Ashbrook. “Seeing swarms around your home doesn’t necessarily mean you have an infestation, but it does mean termites are nearby.”

Alates are the reproductive members of a future termite colony if they can successfully establish. Each spring, usually following a warm rain, these termites leave their established colonies to find new places to nest. Many alates are produced because a low percentage of them are able to establish a colony. After swarming, they shed their wings and pair off to begin new colonies, which is how they end up in homes.

Louisiana’s warm, humid climate makes it an ideal environment for termites, especially the Formosan subterranean termite, one of the most destructive species in the United States. Termites can silently cause thousands of dollars in damage before homeowners know they’re there.

Tips for homeowners:

Don’t panic, but don’t ignore it. Seeing swarms outside is common, but if they're inside your home, call a licensed pest control professional.
Look for signs. Discarded wings, mud tubes, water stains, moisture buildup, and soft or hollow-sounding wood can all indicate a problem.
Reduce moisture. Termites thrive in damp environments and require moist wood to attack structures. Fix leaks and ensure proper drainage around your home.
Schedule regular inspections. Annual termite inspections are recommended, especially in high-risk areas like Louisiana.

“Termites can cause extensive structural damage to your home that may go unnoticed,” said Carol Friedland, director of LaHouse Research and Education Center. “Early detection and prevention can save homeowners a lot of stress and money.”

The LSU AgCenter’s Department of Entomology and LaHouse Research and Education Center provide research-based guidance to help Louisiana residents protect their homes from termites and other structural pests. Learn more by searching for “termites” at www.LSUAgCenter.com.

Article by Shelly Kleinpeter, originally posted here.

Connect with:

Aaron Ashbrook

Assistant Professor

Dr. Ashbrook's research focus primarily on cockroach and bed bug management.

Urban Pest ManagementPest ControlBiocontrolInsect BiologyInsecticide Resistance

Carol Friedland

Director of LaHouse Research & Education Center and Professor

Dr. Friedland bridges research and real-world solutions for Louisiana homes.

Construction ManagementHazard-Resistant ConstructionHurricane, Wind and Flood InteractionsNatural Hazards Data Collection

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War in Iran: Impact on Oil Prices

As global markets respond to escalating tensions in Iran, energy prices are once again at the center of international concern. For insight into what this conflict could mean for oil markets, consumers and the broader economy, media can turn to Greg Upton, executive director and associate research professor at the LSU Center for Energy Studies. An expert at the intersection of energy and environmental economics, Upton studies how geopolitical disruptions, supply constraints and policy decisions influence oil prices and downstream economic impacts. As instability in the Middle East threatens global supply chains, he can provide context on potential price volatility, implications for Louisiana’s energy sector and what higher crude prices may mean for gasoline costs and inflation in the United States. Upton has contributed to more than 40 academic publications and has presented his research to over 200 industry, government and academic audiences. He has testified before committees in both chambers of the Louisiana Legislature and a subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives. A frequent voice in national and local media, Upton has been quoted or cited more than 250 times, including by the The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today and NPR. In addition to his research, Upton teaches in LSU’s MBA program and in the Department of Economics and Environmental Sciences, helping prepare the next generation of leaders to navigate complex energy and environmental challenges. For timely, data-driven analysis on the impact of oil price fluctuations amid the ongoing conflict in Iran, Dr. Greg Upton is available for interviews and expert commentary.

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Op-Ed: Crypto innovation needs stability, not shortcuts

After months of bipartisan negotiations, Congress continues to debate crypto market structure legislation, though questions remain whether common sense investor protections will be included in a new federal framework for digital assets. These proposals address fundamental questions aimed at providing needed clarity for digital asset markets, including around agency jurisdiction, and trust and confidence for mainstream adoption of modern markets. At times, the negotiations fractured over stablecoin yields, while provisions addressing decentralized finance and developer liability and the importance of investor safeguards have proven similarly divisive. The GENIUS Act prohibits stablecoin issuers from paying interest, recognizing such payments transform digital tokens into bank deposits requiring regulatory oversight. Platforms opposing restrictions on stablecoin yields prioritize business models generating revenue by offering deposit-like products without deposit-like regulation – an unfair regulatory arbitrage that disadvantages prudentially supervised banks, drains funding from local lending and introduces systemic risk without corresponding accountability. While these complex issues require careful calibration, there is no substitute for keeping investor-first reforms at the center of market structure legislation and prioritizing clear rules and robust investor safeguards that ensure digital assets benefit everyday investors and that America strengthens its economic competitiveness and leads the next era of financial innovation. Such impasses reflect a pattern where narrow interests prevail over broader economic considerations. Platforms opposing restrictions on stablecoin yields prioritize business models generating revenue by offering deposit-like products without deposit-like regulation. Banking institutions recognize that unregulated competition operating under lower-cost structures will drain funding from local lending. Both positions are economically rational for the parties involved. Neither serves the public interest in financial stability. Likewise, opponents argue that regulation stifles innovation, especially in decentralized finance. But this conflates innovation with regulatory arbitrage. Genuine technological progress creates value by improving efficiency or reducing costs. Regulatory arbitrage extracts value by exploiting gaps between economically equivalent activities subject to different rules. The alternative claim – that existing securities laws suffice – ignores that those frameworks were designed for different market structures. Securities laws assume centralized issuers. Commodity regulations assume physical delivery. Digital assets often fit neither category cleanly, creating uncertainty that inhibits legitimate activity while failing to prevent abuse. The choice is not between perfect legislation and the status quo but between establishing clear rules now or waiting for the next crisis. Financial regulation written in crisis tends toward overcorrection that stifles markets for years. Regulation developed deliberately better balances stability with innovation. Both House and Senate committee versions share core elements providing needed clarity on agency jurisdiction, registration requirements and disclosure standards. International considerations reinforce urgency. The European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation provides comprehensive frameworks for issuers and service providers. Continued U.S. regulatory ambiguity cedes leadership to jurisdictions that may not share American economic interests. More immediately, delay allows risks to accumulate as digital assets become interconnected with traditional finance through retirement plans and institutional portfolios. Recent market failures demonstrate why regulatory clarity and investor safeguards matter. The 2022 collapse of crypto exchange FTX revealed an $8 billion dollar deficit in customer accounts, spreading losses to pension funds and individual retirement accounts. Investigators identified conflicts of interest and leverage that standard regulation would have prevented. When Silicon Valley Bank failed, one major stablecoin had 8% of reserves tied to that institution. The crisis resolved only because uninsured depositors received public support. These episodes reveal a pattern where institutions operating outside prudential supervision accumulate risks requiring public intervention. Markets function best when rules are clear, consistently enforced and apply equally to all participants. This principle applies whether the market involves energy commodities, agricultural credit or digital assets. Louisiana's economy depends on community banks that understand local conditions and maintain lending relationships through economic cycles. When regulatory gaps allow deposit flight to lightly supervised alternatives, these institutions lose capacity to serve small businesses and agricultural operations. Congress has made meaningful progress on consensus-driven legislation. Completing that work would provide clarity allowing legitimate innovation while preventing regulatory arbitrage that creates systemic risk. The alternative is waiting for the next crisis to demonstrate why such frameworks were necessary.