You may have noticed large swarms of what looks like winged termites flying around your property every now and then. These winged termites are also known as swarmers because of this behavior, and they are future kings and queens looking to start new nests.
Appearance
The termite swarmer is basically a termite with four wings. If you do not know what termites look like, imagine an ant with a sturdier, stockier body. With that being said, it’s very easy to confuse termite swarmers with ant swarmers unless you know what to look for. To start, you have the bodies of the insects. Ant swarmers have much narrower waists, while the waist of a termite swarmer is not noticeable at all. Then you have the length of the wings. Ant swarmers will have one pair of wings longer than the other. Finally, there are the antennae. Ant swarmers will have bent antennae, while termites will have them straight.
Role
The termite swarmer has a purely reproductive role. When a colony reaches maturity, the termite queen will start producing eggs that will give birth to swarmers, which can be both male and female. These swarmers then fly out of their colony, mate, and start new nests. This is how new termite colonies are started.
It’s important to mention that despite hundreds and even thousands of swarmers flying out from one colony, only a few manage to start a nest, and of those few nests, one or two may be able to become full blown colonies.
Threats
The main threat posed by swarmers is the fact that they start new colonies. Seeing swarmers outdoors may not be too big of a deal, but seeing swarmers indoors should be a clear sign that there is an infestation in the building. You may also come across dead swarmers, or piles of wings in the home if there is a mature colony inside.
If you do happen to detect a termite infestation, especially by spotting swarmers indoors, you will have to act fast and set a pest control appointment. At this stage, the colony is likely large, and it will cause damage to the home rapidly. A pro will be able to inspect the home, detect if there is an infestation, and then implement control measures to get rid of it.
Contact us today if you have noticed termite swarmers in your home, and we will help you get the infestation under control.