Termite Swarms
Summary: Anyone who has been through a subterranean termite swarm can tell you that it happens so fast and the number of swarming termites is so great that it is an experience you are unlikely to forget.
It all starts on a warm, sunny morning. The previous evening there may have been a rain shower, so the ground is wet and soft. You're sitting there enjoying your morning paper and a cup of java when you first notice a small insect land on the window sill. In a few moments several more bugs alight and now they have your attention. You look around the room and suddenly realize you are not alone. The room is filling up with flying insects. In a matter of a few moments more the room has become dense with flying ant-like pests. In some cases there are so many the light from the windows becomes somewhat blocked.
This common scenario causes most people to call an exterminator in the same way you would call 911 if your kitchen was on fire. It is, without a doubt, a sobering event.
 Termite Swarmer |
So what, you ask, should you do if this occurs? First, the flying insects will do no damage to your belongings, nor can they harm you. Capture a few of the bugs in a bottle so someone can identify them. You need to know if they are, in fact, termites or flying ants.
Trying to stop the emerging insects is a challenge. These are the reproductive stage of the insect and they are bursting out of the ground programmed to find a mate, get back in the ground and create a new colony. As they emerge they are expecting to find wide open spaces only to discover they are on the wrong side of the foundation wall. That's why you see them fly towards the light of the window. They don't want to be inside your house anymore than you want them there. In a few minutes they lose their wings and, unable to get back into the ground, they die.
Many people run for the can of insecticide and start spraying the tiny hole(s) from which these insects are emerging. Actually, any household product like Windex, hairspray or air freshener will work. The foreign agent temporarily makes the insects withdraw to safety. But, the urge to escape their underground tunnels is so inherently strong they soon return.
Most swarms last less than a half hour. You may experience several swarms over a period of several days, but eventually they stop. Don't ignore it and think it is over. Termite colonies immediately begin developing a new generation of swarmers for the next season and if you don't resolve the problem you are bound to have the pleasure of this experience again next year.
There are several very good products that stop termites in a hurry. The Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System is a baiting system. It's clean, quick and uses no liquids that poison the soil. There is also Termidor, a liquid treatment that also kills the termite colony.
Any treatment takes time and waiting only delays things. In fact, if you treat your property late in the year it is most likely you will experience another swarm the following spring. Once the termites have established underground swarm castles where these little guys reside, there is nothing that will stop them from emerging the following season.
Comments
09 Jun 2009, 21:05
09 Jun 2009, 21:46
10 Jun 2009, 03:08
Then I knew that they were eaten by subterranean termites.
I tried a lot of pesticides with a few results.
Yesterday I noticed a few dosens of swarmig termites in my garden near the light, coming from nowhere...
What should I do?
10 Jun 2009, 08:35
10 Jun 2009, 08:53
There were very tiny tunnels in the root of some trees and I SAW the worker termites going there and I am pretty sure they're Subterranean termites.
the roots of many plants were eaten litteraly and the plants are dead.
I am afraid of going through this terrible experience again.
any advices please.
10 Jun 2009, 08:59
15 Jun 2009, 04:52
It was like a good hour, then it appeared they were gone or died off. All the ones I catch I just throw them in the toilet and flush..
I do have Terminix, and still with the Sentricon Bait System however Terminix switched over to Termador...Please Kokua...Mahalo Sir..
17 Jun 2009, 07:17
Several years ago Terminix made the decision to switch from Sentricon for financial reasons, not because of any problem with the product. If you can find another local pest control company that uses Sentricon they can re-activate your Sentricon program for a very small charge and put you back on track.
23 Jul 2009, 13:12
I’m currently looking at Terminix and a local independent for termites. i’m at a loss at which to use. Terminix really down-sells the Sentricon offered by the indie, but then i read that Terminix was, until ‘05, the largest distributor/franchisee for Dow/Agro and Sentricon. One reads so many complaints about both options on the internet, that they are ready to buy a can of Raid and do it themselves. i’m still tempted to use Terminix even though the initial treatment is somewhat higher. In the long run, their yearly “insurance policy” against damage is lower.
Help!
23 Jul 2009, 13:22
I am still a big Sentricon fan. Dow has done a superior job of maintaining a quality product that works. I would chose effectiveness over the "insurance policy" any day.
23 Jul 2009, 13:23
Also, as silly as this may sound, we are at the park 3 nights a weeek until 8:30 or 10pm. Due to sports, we are sitting there by the courts late at night and often question if the critters emerging from the sand and up the wooden poles are winged termites. It is absolutely creepy and we often end up with these critters dead in our beach bags or in the car.
23 Jul 2009, 13:26
Termites naturally occur outdoors and are responsible for much of the decomposition that takes place in nature. The flying insects you see at night are not likely termites. They usually swarm when sunlight warms the soil, signaling a good time for them to come out of the ground.
23 Jul 2009, 13:28
I'm doing a remodeling project in Omaha, NE. I discovered wood damaged from termites and what appeared to be tunneling holes near the wood on the drywall. I know that this house has been significantly treated for termites in the past - drill holes in the basement, etc. Consequently, I'm trying to discern whether this is a current problem or the termites no longer exists (i.e., they're dead). I have never seen live termites during the remodel but perhaps they're hard to spot. What is your opinion?
23 Jul 2009, 13:29
19 Sep 2009, 22:55
19 Sep 2009, 22:56