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Homeowner's Guide
Educate to Eradicate
Home Homeowner's Guide Swarming season



Swarming season Swarming season
Stop the termites before
they start a family


The line of defense against swarming termites is admittedly very low-tech. Diligence and a watchful eye are often the only barrier between these flying termites and your house. Here are some tips to help reduce the risk of swarmers attacking your house.


Swarming termites are attracted to light. If you spot swarmers in the neighborhood (street lights, neighbor's porch, etc.) turn off the lights in your house. While this isn't always practical, often it is the only way we can make these flying insects look elsewhere.

If you use a bug-zapping light, it isn't always the best idea to leave it on near your house during a heavy swarm. Many swarmers may drop to the ground before they get a chance to touch the electrified screen, leaving them to scurry about on the ground near the house.

Termites swarming near a street light

Termites swarming near a street light



Flight slits
Flight slits
Kill any tandem pairs or solitary swarmers that you find in or around the house.

If there are large numbers of swarmers in your house, look for flight slits. If flight slits are found, call a licensed pest control operator as soon as possible. Flight slits within a home are a good indication of an existing structural infestation.



While this isn't really a tip, it is a helpful observation for those who would otherwise take universal measures against all critters in the house. Geckos! Although they are commonly seen as household pests, leaving their characteristic droppings in the most annoying places, geckos and other insect predators do their fair share of consuming swarmers they encounter. While it is probably true that their insect consumption is much too low to offer any measure of termite control, it is sometimes refreshing to regard geckos and other such critters as helpful rather than bothersome.

Male and female swarmers in tandem
Male and female
swarmers in tandem



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