Believe it or not, termite season is right around the corner. The time has come once again for these wood-eating insects to leave the nest and start a life of their own. But what is termite season, anyway? And what are these termite swarmers you keep hearing about? If you want to protect your property from expensive termite repairs, here’s everything you ought to know about termite swarmers in Mobile.
What Are Termite Swarmers?
Termite swarmers are the winged reproductive termites from a particular termite colony that leave the nest in order to start colonies of their own. They are potential kings and queens that gather in frantic swarms in an effort to successfully mate, and can be observed flying over short distances. These termite swarmers are more likely to appear at certain times of year, a time we call “termite season.”
Termite season refers to the period in early spring when most termite colonies release their termite swarmers to mate. Many factors contribute to when termite swarmers are released, including temperature, weather, and even wind speed, but generally, termite swarmers tend to appear around the first full week of spring in March. However, depending on the species, some termite colonies may not release their reproductive swarmers until the late fall.
While termite swarmers are the most visible sign of termite activity, it’s important to remember that termites remain active year-round, even when you can’t see them. In other words, you shouldn’t wait around until you start seeing flying termites to inspect your property for an infestation.
Is It Bad To Have Termite Swarmers?
Much like spotting cockroaches out in the open is often a sign of a larger infestation, seeing termite swarmers is usually indicative of a bigger termite problem. Termites will only send out their reproductives once their colony has reached a certain size, meaning that you’ll only see termite swarmers if there is a large, active colony. And since termite swarmers are particularly bad at flying compared to other winged insects and are unable to cover long distances, their home colony is usually nearby.
You can spot termite swarmers in a few common locations around the property, and where and when you find them may help determine how to deal with your infestation. Drywood termite swarmers tend to appear around dusk and are attracted to bright light, causing them to gather beneath outdoor lights and along window sills. Subterranean termites, on the other hand, prefer to send out swarmers during the day. Subterranean termite swarmers can be found swarming indoors.
What You Can Do To Prevent Termite Swarmers
The ideal way to prevent termite swarmers is to eliminate the existing termite infestation from which they originate. But if you can’t get rid of termites themselves, there are a few things you can do to make your property less hospitable to termite swarmers.
- Clean up the yard. Discard any rotting wood, fallen trees, decaying stumps, or other organic waste around the yard. Trim back woody hedges and shrubs to prevent them from making contact with your home or business.
- Keep the lights off. Simply switching off outdoor lights when it gets dark and drawing curtains along your windows can keep drywood termite swarmers from congregating on your property.
- Control moisture. Make sure the soil around your property isn’t excessively damp. Fix leaky pipes and spigots, ensure that gutters and drains are flowing properly, and ventilate humid basement areas.
If you’ve spotted termite swarmers on your Mobile property, the best thing you can do to prevent expensive termite damage is to get in touch with EnSec Of Alabama. With our safe and affordable termite control services, you can trust that we’ll get rid of your termite troubles. Contact us today.