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Termites are slowly eating their way across France, much to the dismay
of homeowners who find the price of their property plummeting. Things have
now got so bad that some regions have resorted to the law to try to halt
the termite’s advance.

The 15-member ‘Association of Cities Fighting Against Xylophagous Insects
and Termites In Particular’ has put a proposal for new legislation before
the French Senate. The law would classify termite infestation as a natural
disaster, so that property owners can claim for the cost of anti-termite
treatment.

Under the proposed law, owners would have to declare any sign of termites
to the local authorities, and take steps to get rid of them or risk heavy
fines. Every property sale would have to be accompanied by a certificate
stating whether there has been any problem with termites.

Termites were first discovered in France 150 years ago in Bordeaux and
La Rochelle. Å®ÉúСÊÓƵs think they were transported in imported timber.
In 1953, the termites were present in 16 departments. Now they have spread
across 50, mainly in the south and west.

Getting rid of termites is tricky. The powerful pesticide aldrin was
banned recently and there is a move away from chemical treatments. According
to Florent Vieau, an endocrinologist at the University of Nantes, work on
synthetic hormones that would destabilise the social structure of termite
colonies shows promise. Å®ÉúСÊÓƵs are also trying out a pheromone that
lures termites into a trap. ‘But these methods could take years to develop,’
says Vieau.

Jean-Claude Undereiner, a senior official in the southern city of Arles,
says the association is trying to make termites less of a taboo subject.
‘People hide termite problems like contagious diseases,’ he said. ‘They
are afraid their property will be devalued, but this isn’t going to make
them go away.’