As September rolls in, San Diego homeowners should be on high alert for termite swarms.
Swarm season is upon us, and it’s important to know what to look for to protect your home from potential infestations.
What is Swarm Season?
Swarm season marks the time of year when mature termite colonies send out swarmers—winged adult termites that leave their nests to mate and start new colonies. In San Diego, this typically begins in September as the weather remains warm and humid, creating ideal conditions for termite activity.
How to Identify Termite Swarmers
Termite swarmers can often be mistaken for flying ants, but there are key differences that can help you tell them apart.
Antennae: Termite swarmers have straight antennae, while flying ants have elbowed (bent) antennae.
Waist: Termites have a broad, thick waist without a narrow segment, whereas flying ants have a pinched, narrow waist.
Wings: Termite swarmers have two pairs of wings that are equal in size and length. In contrast, flying ants have front wings that are larger than their hind wings.
Termite swarmers are usually seen around light sources like windows, doors, and lamps.
You may also find discarded wings on windowsills, floors, or spider webs, which is a common sign of a recent swarm
The purpose of swarming is for termites to reproduce and create new colonies near food sources. Like ants, termites are very social creatures that thrive in a colony. Young termites develop wings in the springtime in order to disperse from their parent colonies in swarms. These “swarmers,” or “alates” fly through mud tubes in the case of subterranean termites, or through the air in cases of drywood termites. Though they don’t fly for long, the swarms are usually carried along on a breeze until they reach the ground. Once they touch back down, the insects can establish new colonies. Colonies usually swarm only once per year, though in some cases, multiple swarms may occur. When multiple swarms occur in a season, they are generally smaller swarms than the first occurrence.
Here’s how to tell the difference between termite swarmers and flying ants:
Antennae: Termites have straight antennae while the antennae of ants are bent.
Wing structure: Termite wings will be of identical length, while ant wing length varies.
Body: Ants have a pinched waist, while termite waists are more straight.
How to Prevent Termite Damage
Termites cause thousands of dollars in damage in individual homes in the United States every year, affecting more than 600,000 homes. This results in an estimated $5 billion in damage annually. You want to ensure that your home isn’t one of them!
Keep wood and wood products away from your home.
Remove termite-infested plants from your property.
Seal foundation cracks, fix leaky roofs, and repair indoor and outdoor water lines.
How to Treat Termite Infestations
If you’ve already got termites making a meal out of your home, there are options available for evicting them quickly. To ensure that your home isn’t contributing to that $5 billion total, utilize one of these termite treatments to beat the bugs.
Baiting stations: Termite baiting stations work by attracting termites to a bait source several feet from your exterior wall. If you check the bait and it has been destroyed, you know there is likely a termite colony nearby.
Liquid treatments: Liquid treatment techniques are used around the site of an infestation to eliminate termites that have already made their way into a home. These treatments are effective in making your home termite free.