Termite ‘season’ is almost upon us

Even though everything I see out my window right now is covered in white, it won’t be long until the termites will begin their swarm season. It happens every year during spring after the weather begins to warm and the rains are subsiding. The subterranean termite colonies, which live in the ground, begin building their ‘mud’ shelter tubes either to the surface of the ground, or, worse yet if they have already found a way into your home, out through the sheetrock wall covering, window frame or wood floor covering and/or molding. These shelter tubes can be constructed by the worker termites of the colony at an amazing speed. The soldier termites are always close to the open end of the shelter tube to rush forward and block the opening with their large strong pincers to ward off an attack by their archenemy the ants.

Termites have lived on Earth for approximately 250 million years. There are approximately 45 species of termites in the United States, and more than 2,300 species worldwide. Termites build the largest nests of any insect. Termites are social insects that live in colonies with caste systems defining roles and responsibilities: reproductives, workers and soldiers. Worker and soldier termites are blind. Only termites that have become fully mature, reproductive termites develop eyes. Termites communicate through pheromones (chemical signals) and vibrations caused by head banging. Contrary to popular belief, termites cannot “eat” wood. Termites require the help of single-cell organisms in their guts to digest cellulose (wood). As I mentioned before, ants are termites’ main predator and will attack the termite colony or workers for food if they can gain access. Termites work quietly around the clock and are said to cause $5 billion per year in structural damage in the United States alone.

This spring or early summer, if you spot a bunch of dark colored, winged insects that look like ants that are all fluttering up from the same basic area, try to catch one and examine it. If it has no ‘waist’, it’s not an ant and you most likely have a termite colony that is swarming. The termites you are seeing are the winged reproductives that are setting out to mate and set up new colonies. They don’t fly very well, and in fact are usually carried along for a distance by air currents. The termites loose their wings when they land, search out a mate and try to find a suitable location to start a new colony. Very few of the termites survive as most become food for other insects. If they do survive, the colony should reach maturity in four to five years, with 60,000 to 200,000 workers. If you suspect that you have a termite colony swarming, try to identify the location. Most likely you will need to get some professional help to locate the problem area and determine if the termites have found a way to get into your home structure and whether they have caused any damage to it. Many dead or dying termites on the inside of a window or on the sill is usually a sign that you have some unwanted guests in your home. If you think you may have an issue, give me a call and I’ll try to give you some advice to get you headed in the right direction.