This is the time of year when nature’s unwanted recyclers, termites, make their presence well-known. In springtime, termite colonies send out termite swarmers to mate & start new colonies. Termite swarmers who stay outside are usually successful; however, those that make their way indoors find that it is nearly impossible for them to achieve success…other than giving homeowners a bit of a fright.
Termite swarmers really pose no risk to homeowners. Their only mission is to reproduce & start a new colony. The “scariest” part of this process is that when the do come inside, they tend to invade by the hundreds…or even thousands! YIKES! The best way to kill them is to vacuum them up. Try to find the spot where they are entering your home. It could be from a hole in the wall or a crack around a doorframe or baseboard. Put a piece of clear packing tape over the hole. (No need for any sprays or chemicals as termites live at the end of a very long tunnel & sprays are really quite ineffective at stopping these determined little guys anyway.)
Termite swarming usually lasts less than an hour. You are more likely to discover you have a termite problem by finding evidence of termite damage rather than sightings of any actual termites themselves. Other more common signs include:
- Mud shelter tubes along exterior foundation walls, floor joists above basement or emerging from cracks where the floor & wall meet in the garage
- Soft spots in wood, floor or drywall (Wood with termite damage will be weak & brittle. If it’s soft & mushy, it’s more likely to be water damage.)
- Piles of small, delicate wings shed by reproductives (typically found near point of emergence & light sources)
Blue Chip offers great solutions for termites that are hard on termites and easy on your home. Let us know if you think you have termites. In the meantime, check out our short video below to see how we insect homes for signs of termite damage & one of the solutions we offer to help control termites.
