The presence of flying termites is often what alerts homeowners to a termite infestation. Flying termites can range in size from 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch depending on the species. Does termites have wings?
Color: Unlike worker termites, which are usually light in color, flying termites can be pale, dark brown, or black depending on the species. The darker tint aids termites in retaining moisture and allowing them to escape the nest.
How Did I Get Rid of Flying Termites?
Flying male and female alates, also known as alates or reproductive stage termites, emerge from existing colonies to mate and create new nests elsewhere. A flying termite swarm near the home nest may signal the presence of a big colony in the yard or another nearby place. Residents who discover several alates within their home, spot their shed wings around doors and windows, or witness them emerge from the house exterior may have an active infestation.
What Are the Dangers of Flying Termites?
Termites are one of the most destructive insects found in dwellings. It takes three to six years for a colony to mature to the point where it produces alates. Termites eating wood can cause costly damage to buildings during this period. These worker termites consume the soft internal regions of wooden supports and other wooden structural components while leaving the outer shell of the wood intact. Termite infestations can last for years before the damage manifests itself in the form of mud tubes, fissures, or the collapse of the building's timber. Flying termite swarms are an important indicator of impending damage for homeowners.
What Are Flying Termites and the Best Way to Get Rid Of Them
Facts
A flying termite may be a swarmer (alate) sent out to establish a new colony, or it may be the colony's monarch or queen. The eyes of flying termites are weak, while workers, soldiers, and secondary reproductive termites are blind.
Swarms
When a termite colony swarms, flying termites can be seen. Heavy rainfall and warm, humid temperatures, among other things, cause swarms. When established colonies create winged male and female termites in order to breed, swarms form. Fertilized termites shed their wings after mating flights and go on to build new colonies. Termites flying within a house indicate a mature colony. To learn about extermination solutions for their house, homeowners should call their local professional pest control specialist. Contact a1 pestmasters termite inspection for home purchase.
Ants may appear
While flying termites resemble winged ants, they have distinct variances in appearance. The waist of ants is constricted, but the waist of termites is more straight-sided. Termites have four equal-sized wings. Ant antennae bend at 90-degree angles, whereas termite antennae are straight. If you need assistance determining whether you have activity, contact A-1 Pestmasters now for a termite examination of your house.
Termite wings on floor
Termites with wings or wings in your home without termites could be flying termite swarms. Termite colonies need three to five years to produce alates or swarmers.
By the time you notice them inside, you may have major wood damage. Formosan termites can eat 1 to 3 pounds of wood every day in a typical home.
Attics, windowsills, door frames, baseboards, wooden furniture, hardwood floors, and wall studs are common termite hotspots. Flying termites reproduce and form new colonies. When conditions are favorable, flying termites will swarm in your home if a colony is there. Flying termites indicate a long-term infestation. Termite colonies usually generate flying termites after three years.
Termite swarmers are weak fliers, and their wings break off as they try to mate. Termites may have been in your home if you found termite wings.
Since swarmers are drawn to light, you'll find wings near light fixtures and windowsills. After losing their wings, flying termites will try to nest in your home. During termite swarming season, Chicago people call us while termites are flying in their homes. In an hour or two, the swarming will end.
Dim the lights and use a vacuum to remove live and dead termites during a termite swarm. Termites won't bite.
Once the termite species is identified, a treatment strategy can be made. Depending on the type of termite, effective treatments include tent fumigations, bait stations, liquid trenching, and "no tent" termite management.
My Home Has Drywood Termites? Drywood termites need no soil moisture. They dig nests in the wood. Drywood termites can also be identified by their feces, termed frass. Drywood termites push pellets out of contaminated wood to produce a kicking hole.
These small wooden pellets are often seen on floors, windowsills, and under furniture. The colors of pellets are unrelated to the wood color.
During a termite examination, we look for the kick-out holes dry wood termites generate.
Late spring and summer are Drywood termite swarming seasons. After heavy rains and high humidity, swarmers are most active. Drywood termite colonies are smaller than subterranean termite colonies and generate fewer swarmers. Fortunately, dry wood termites inflict less wood damage.
What Does A-1 PestMasters Do?
Read how you know about termites that eat wood. A-1 Pestmasters will determine whether you have termites and then arrange a treatment plan for wood destroying organisms. Call us at (312) 647-2630.