Beaches, barbecue, and fun in the sun. There’s something special about summer, even when you’ve outgrown summer vacations and the long, carefree stretches without work or responsibility.
But we humans aren’t the only ones who with a special fondness for the dog days of summer. Your old termite buddies are on the brink of something big.
Getting antsy in the late summer heat, drywood termites are starting to gear up for swarming season—with winged ‘mites setting off to expand the bounds of their colonies.
Here’s what you need to know about getting rid of these little guys, as well as how to determine if your home is swarm central.
What Exactly is Swarming?
Of the three classes of adult termites, only one, the alate have the ability to sprout wings. At certain times of the year, termite colonies cast off a group of alate known as swarmers.
Drywood termites begin the swarming process sometime between August and December—meaning, swarming season is nearly upon us.
These winged, adult termites—often the most recognizable type of termite, as most of the time, they remain unseen. On warm days, the flying termites swarm to expand the reaches of their colonies to new, exposed wood, laying eggs quickly.
The wings allow termite swarmer’s to expand their reach to various new settlements, laying eggs in their waste and setting the stage for new infestations.
How Do I Know if It’s Happening in My Home?
At the swarming stage, adult termites don’t cause too much damage—it’s the wood-hungry newborns you need to be on the lookout for—eating their way through wood structures from the inside out.
The simple answer of whether or not you’ve got swarmer’s is—if you see flying termites near your home, you’ve probably got an infestation on your hands.
It may be a bit tricky for the average homeowner to identify the difference between flying ants and termites, but there are some fundamental differences between the two. Termites have wider bodies, antennae that stick straight out and two-sets of equal sized wings.
Flying ants, on the other hand, have a large set of wings and a smaller set. Where ants have a three-segment body, a termite’s body features just two distinct parts.
Another sign of trouble is if you see piles of wing—sans body—distributed around window sills or baseboards. After termites are through with the mating process, they ditch their wings—meaning, if you see wings and no bodies—chances are the eggs have been laid.
Taking on Swarmer’s? It’s Time to Call in the Big Guns
Unfortunately, it takes a lot of equipment and knowledge to eradicate a termite infestation. Homeowners trying to take matters into their own hands will have a hard time figuring out where the colonies are going to have a difficult time baiting or fumigating on their own.
The best thing you can do in the case of a termite infestation is to get a termite control service on the scene ASAP.
A professional will quickly be able to identify the problem and from there, determine what needs to be treated.
Call us for a free termite inspection—whether your termite-free and want to increase prevention methods or you’ve got an infestation—we’re here to help.