Swarming How termites make baby termites

A familiar sight to many Hawaii residents is the annual termite swarms. Swarming season is in May and June, but small swarms may occur at any time. Swarms only occur on warm, humid, nearly windless nights, and last about half an hour. The swarmers, or alates, as they are technically known, embark on their journey from holes called flight slits. They are attracted to the nearest light source, usually a street light or house lights.

Alates, or "swarmers"

Flight slits

More flight slits

Male following female

After a short flight, the alates drop to the ground and shed their wings. The males seek out the females and follow them in tandem. The happy couples then search for a suitable niche to provide shelter while they mate. Most of the alates die before they ever mate--they get eaten by spiders, geckos, chameleons, toads, ants, or other predators. Or, they are unable to satisfy the three requirements needed in order to mate successfully: food, water, and shelter.