What to Do During Subterranean Termite Swarming Season
Termites are a serious issue across the country, including in our stunning state of California. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, they cause billions of dollars in structural damage.
Among these species, subterranean termites are the most destructive properties. Organized in colonies, they behave like bees or ants, and crawl to the surface, searching for wood.
Subterranean termites' colors vary from creamy white to dark, with shades of brown and black. They have six legs and measure 1/8 inch long on average. Termite swarms tend to occur after heavy rains because reproductive termites are looking for a new home.
In this blog, you'll learn more about these pests and how we can help to exterminate them.
Risks For Your Property
Termites can be very destructive to your property. These tiny, fast-reproducing insects can cause a lot of damage. Often, it is difficult to see structural damage to your house until it becomes more severe and could even collapse. The professional team at Encino's Best Termite Solutions can perform a diagnostic, eliminate all termites, and prevent financial loss.
How to Prevent Termites
Many people don't realize they have termites under their noses—or in their houses—until there are too many of them. Insects that live underground are challenging to spot. Some species of termites can even resemble flying ants due to their color patterns.
As its name suggests, the subterranean termites nest underground. Unlike dry wood termites, subterranean termites build mud tubes to protect themselves from dehydration and predators while traveling underground. Most commonly, termites create mud tubes on trees, buildings, and other wooden structures they inhabit.
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Why Do Termites Swarm?
Young termites grow wings every spring to leave their nests and form new colonies. Thousands of termites fly out of exit holes, pair up, and seek suitable reproduction areas. You may find these exit holes in your baseboards, door frames, wooden flooring, or any other place where termites have moved in.
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Signs That Your Home Is Infested With Termites
Because termites prefer dark, humid environments, like those found behind walls and in crawl spaces, you might not even know your home is infested until you see a swarm. Check for discarded wings around doors, windows, and vents, as these places are temporary access points for termites. Another indicator of termite damage is hollow, papery wood that is easily broken.
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How to Deal With a Swarm
Is there anything worse than being swarmed up by insects outside? Having them inside your house! A swarm lasts only 30–40 minutes before any termites that did not find a suitable place to start a new colony dehydrate and die.
Trying to seal off the exit holes before the termites escape might seem appealing, but worker termites will create more cavities. Rather than allowing flying termites to spread, it would help if you did everything you could to contain them and avoid allowing them to find a suitable spot to build their next colony. And most importantly, get in touch with our team as soon as possible!
Whether you want to prevent your home from a termite infestation or you're already dealing with one, contact Encino's Best Termite Solutions at (818) 940-8606.