The weather has FINALLY broken. If you are like me, you can’t wait to get out into the yard and start cleaning the winter mess away and planting new things to get some beautiful colors waving in your yards. As you dig around in your yard, be mindful that it is termite swarmer season again.
Termite swarmers are the reproductives of an existing termite colony. As the colony matures, usually 3-5 years old, swarmers will appear. They are released from the colony in pairs, if the pair mates and is able to get back into the ground or a suitable environment to sustain them, a new colony will begin.
Swarmers do no physical damage to wood or property. Their sole purpose is to mate and forma new colony. They will lose their wings shortly after swarming and will nearly always be found in a lighted area (window sill, bright light in a room). Remember that just because you find termites in a window sill or by the front door does not mean that is where the swarm originated from; termites are light sensitive from living underground all their lives so they naturally head to the light when they emerge.
If you experience a swarm inside your home, it is best to leave the dead swarmers where they are and call for an experienced professional to evaluate the problem. Tracking the point of origin helps the pest management professionals when developing a treatment plan for your home. If you simply cannot leave the dead swarmers (small children or animals playing or eating them) please note where they were found. Digital photos are useful and also remember to save some samples for the PMP to examine; it’s very difficult to determine what the problem is when there is nothing to see.
Below is a picture identifying the differences between termite and ant swarmers. Ants and termites can swarm at the same time of year and knowing the difference between swarmers will save some anxiety and frustration.
Be it termites or ants, among other things, bugging you, our knowledgeable, professional, courteous staff will help solve your termite, pest and moisture problems, quickly and efficiently.
