Why Do Termites Swarm During Termite Season
As the weather begins to warm, and the rainy season goes into full swing, termites will begin to swarm. Swarms are large groups of termites looking to build a new colony. The purpose of swarming termites is to find a place to build a colony and start mating. The female, swarming termites will become queens of new colonies. She lays the eggs, which will later become soldier termites and more swarming termites. However, not all species swarm at the same time.
When Do Termites Swarm
Termites usually swarm after days of heavy rainfall in the spring or early summer. Residents should be on the lookout for both subterranean and Formosan termite swarms.
Subterranean termites tend to swarm during the day, while Formosan termites prefer nighttime or early morning, and are attracted to light. Both types of termites can cause damage to your home; however, Formosan termites can have up to 15 million termites in a colony.
Swarming termites are often confused with swarmer ants. It is quite hard to tell the difference between the two species. Upon close inspection, you will see that termite swarmers have two pairs of wings, equal in length while one pair of the swarmer ant’s wings are shorter than the other.
Do I Have An Infestation?
However, just because you see a termite swarm near your home does not mean there is an infestation. Swarmers do not cause structural damage to the home, rather their offspring will upon maturity. If bugs are entering and exiting the house from outside, there should be no problem yet. When termites start coming out of fixtures or exposed wood, there’s likely to be an infestation.
How to Treat My Termite Problem?
Experts do not recommend using at home remedies like “Raid” to fix a termite issue because these types of pesticides can cause serious health threats to you and your family. Instead, they recommend getting out the vacuum and then, call a professional pest control expert.
At Premier, termite specialists have the experience, equipment, and methodology to identify signs of termite issues and treat them at the cause, so that you prevent any further damage to your home.
