Team Termite!
The western drywood termite is native to California. So what the heck is it doing in the attic of the lab at UGAMI? According to Brian Forschler, who is a Professor of Entomology at UGA, the termites were likely living in wooden crates used to transport films to Sapelo from California back when R.J. Reynolds was on the Island. Dr. Forschler and his team have been tracking the termites since 2011 as part of a long-term study on managing this pest species. The foreign termites were originally limited to the central portion of the attic (above the auditorium where the movies were shown), but starting in 2021 they were also seen in other parts of the UGAMI attic. The termites grow very slowly and so there is no imminent danger, but this past week Dr. Forschler worked with a team from the GA Department of Agriculture Structural Pest Control (GCASPC) to treat the attic with a borate/glycol formulation to both reduce the current population and prevent future infestations. They also used it as a training opportunity, since this species is not something you see every day!