Swarming Termites (Rys miere)

Subterranean Termites are the most common species of termites active throughout South Africa. The bulk of this article is geared toward subterranean termites and dealing with termites swarming

To a termite, any structure with wood represents food. Once inside your structure, they will feed undetected in sill plates, studs, floor joists or any cellulose material they can access. This food (the wood in your house) will lure a continuous flow of worker termites to your structure. Proper treatment to stop this infestation includes creating a chemical barrier in the soil. As termites move through this soil, they will pick up some of the material you've applied, bring it back to their colony and over time contaminate all that occupy the nest. In some cases treating the wood will help accomplish this goal. And though most people wait till they have termites to do a treatment, clearly treating the home before termites find their way inside is the preferred way to do termite control.

Termites do not like to expose themselves so they build dirt tunnels through which they travel. These termite mud tubes will be readily seen on foundation walls, studs inside wall voids and on sill plate which typically is used on top of foundation walls. Most termite tubes are thin – not as thick as your pinky finger – but are large enough to allow termites to pass through in both directions. If the target wood supply is providing good food the termite tunnel will likely widen. This will allow more termites to have access to the food. These termite tunnels are used to carry food, stabilize the local temperature inside the tube and regulate the moisture levels as well. Termite tubes also allow termite swarmers to exit the colony. Termite Swarmers are generated once or twice a year. Termite Swarmers leave their colony with the sole purpose of starting a new one. Termite Swarmers are most likely seen in the spring and because they occur so infrequently, swarmers are often ignored or improperly identified as flying ants. Most people think the termites swarming are the ones that do the damage but in fact they don't. Termites Swarming do nothing but leave an existing colony in search of another ideal location where they can mate, lay some eggs and start a new termite colony. However, these termites swarming are very important. Any sign of swarming termites means you have active termites since we know these swarmers can only emerge where active termites have created mud tunnels. If you have termite swarmers in your home or immediately adjacent to the home, you have active termites which need to be treated. Don't ignore this important sign. Acting early and quick will prevent damage and minimize infestation levels which makes controlling them all the more easy.

The swarm may range in size from just a few to over a thousand. Male termites will be looking for female termites and once found will try to pair off with them. The termite pair will mate and if conditions are right, a new colony will begin. Look for termite swarmers around windows, light fixtures, doors, partition walls, stoops and moist areas. Although they may emerge from wood which has damage, termites swarming do not eat or cause wood damage. Their only purpose is to reproduce. Consider them to be a sign of something more sinister. Make note of where the activity was most concentrated and so when you treat the key areas are treated more thoroughly. Keep in mind termites generally appear where it is damp and dark but they will take advantage of whatever they can including pressure treated lumber, decks, landscape timber and even live trees. In fact, it is not uncommon for an active termite population to kill a tree within a short period of time

Since termites enter on foundation walls, through hollow foundations and up from under slabs, traditional treatments have been to treat the soil through which they travel. The idea is to create a barrier and as the termites travel through the treatment, they will absorb enough of the active chemical used in the treatment and then die. This has long been the accepted method and when done right will keep termites out.  New products enable this approach to be even more successful so the chances are high that you can not only keep them out of your home but in fact kill the local termite colony altogether. This greatly reduces the risk of future infestations.