Why Are Termites Swarming Outside?
Like this blog? Get updated when we post. We won’t share your information.
Anyone who’s dealt with termites before knows that these are not your average bug. Termites can cause major damage to the foundation of your home. They’ll make short work of those hardwood floors you so adore. If left to their own devices, they’ll crawl through pretty much every wood surface they can find.
Fortunately, this won’t happen to you!
Why? Because you’ll catch these hellions in their tracks well before they can do any lasting damage to those gorgeous wooden ceiling beams. And fortunately, a tidy home is actually less than desirable if you’re a termite; so as long as you take some basic precautions and act fast when you see a swarm, you’ll be in good shape.
We’re going to tell you what to keep an eye out for during peak termite season (which, for those of us in Louisiana, is late spring - yup, right now.) We interviewed Armando Ruiz, a literal termite professional and owner of Blue Star Pest Control in Slidell, to find out what the warning signs are and how to keep termites outside, where they belong.
I found a pile of wings on the floor, but no termites. What happened??
When subterranean termites swarm out of their nest , the swarmer’s (alates) leave the nest with wings and typically fly towards light as they are attracted to lighting. Shortly thereafter (within 1 hour) they shed their wings and start looking for a nesting site to start a new colony. So seeing a pile of wings would indicate that this was an area where the termites initially landed and lost their wings and then went off looking for shelter. This area is probably near a light source.
Termites. Photo used with permission.
Does this mean termites are now chomping at the bit to make a colony in my house?
NO, but they are looking for the ideal conditions to start a new colony. They need three basic things to start a new colony:
1) Moisture
2) Shelter
3) Food
The most common area where subterranean termites will start a nest will be in the ground and not in your home, because the ground contains all three elements needed for survival. Although, a poorly maintained home could offer those three elements and they could start a nest in the home, which is called an aerial infestation.
Related: What does flood insurance cover, anyway?
What are the best ways to keep termite swarmers from coming inside?
Swarming termites will always be part of our lives, especially here in the south. Here are a few tips to help reduce the number of termites getting into the house during Formosan termite swarming season, which usually occurs between late April to mid-June.
Turn your exterior lights and any lights by windows off between the hours of 7:15pm to about 10:30pm.
Caulk around all windows, doors and ceiling joints.
Apply a residual insecticide on the exterior of your home around windows, doors and any exterior light fixtures.
How long do termite swarmers stick around?
Swarming termites will fly anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes before they land, lose their wings and start looking for a nesting site. After they swarm out from their nest, if left undisturbed they will live anywhere from 5 to 8 hours after swarming. Occasionally you will find a few of them still alive the next morning. Remember that swarming termites cause NO DAMAGE, it’s the ones you don’t’ see that cause the damage.
If I see termite swarmers inside my home, do I need to have it treated right away? Or will they go away on their own?
Remember that the swarming termites cause no damage, so seeing some inside your home is not always a sign that you have an infestation. It is common to find anywhere from 20 to 100 termites crawling around inside your home after a swarm. The quickest way to remove them from the home would be to vacuum them up. We do not recommend spraying them with an insecticide inside your home, as they will die on their own within a few hours. No need to put chemicals inside of your home that are not needed.
If I have a termite infestation, would it be visually obvious to me?
Yes, to the trained eye it will be obvious if you have a subterranean termite infestation. For homeowners it may not be as obvious, but here are some of the things you may see that would indicate you have a termite infestation inside your home.
Flying termites inside of the home by the thousands.
Mud spot on the walls
Cracking paint causing ripples on the wall
Wood floors that are buckling
Mud tunnels on the exterior of your foundation leading toward the house
Dirt tunnel, indicative of termite activity. Photo Courtesy of Armando Ruiz.
We didn’t mean to scare you, but termites are a real thing in this part of Louisiana. Any homeowner should know what to watch for this time of year, and how to get rid of those pesky termites so you can focus on the home renovations you’ve been saving on Pinterest - not on emergency repairs.
And because termites can leverage some serious long-term damage, we suggest the owner have a company like Blue Star carefully inspect every property. That way, a buyer-to-be can be confident that when they step into one of our open houses, they’ll be entering a termite-free zone.
Have a termite horror story you’ve been dying to share? Tweet us @Slidellrealty. Or better yet, share your success tactics so we know how you managed to get rid of the little devils.
Armando Ruiz, SR. is President of Blue Star Pest Control, serving Louisiana since 1984. They specialize in pest, termite, mosquito and rodent control and can be reached at (985) 641-3797.
David McLaughlin (yours, truly) is a long-time Slidell resident, and REALTOR® with over 15 years of experience helping others buy, sell, and invest in real estate. He can be reached via email at david@homesnearnola.com or by dialing 985-707-5270.
Like this blog? Get updated when we post. We won’t share your information.
