Watch Out For Swarmers
Termites can swarm. This tends to happen during spring and summer. Some termite colonies produce swarmers in the fall because of different species and conditions. You don't have to be too concerned about swarmers by themselves. They can't do much to you or your property. Instead, you pay attention to swarmers because of what they say about the state of termite colonies in your vicinity. Something that could tell you the right time to contact pest control services.
What Are Swarmers?
Chances are good that you can guess there's something special about swarmers. After all, it's common knowledge that most eusocial insects are centered around queens, which produce the eggs that make their colonies possible. Mississippi State University says the situation is a bit more complicated for termites. They have primary reproductives in the form of queens and kings. However, they also have secondary and tertiary reproductives, which enable their colonies to survive even when spread out over vast distances. Regardless, swarmers are the would-be queens and kings that fly out to establish new termite colonies. Even in this respect, termites differ from ants and bees in that their kings survive the initial flights to continue contributing.
Why Are Swarmers a Concern?
As mentioned, swarmers aren't a huge concern by themselves. The same isn't true for the termite colonies they're associated with. First, successful swarmers can produce thousands of workers within a short period. Beware of new termite colonies because each increases the chance of workers entering your property, which can mean devastating repair and replacement costs. These intrusions are more resilient than you think because they can survive through secondary and tertiary reproductives, even if they're cut off from their queens and kings at some point. Second, you should be very concerned if you see swarmers in your home. They aren't likely to establish themselves in your home because they need moist conditions. The issue is where they're coming from. It's possible the swarmers entered from the outside. Unfortunately, it's also possible the swarmers are coming from within your home, which suggests you have a termite infestation in need of termite services.
What Should You Do About Swarmers?
Your first step should be identifying what you're dealing with. This matters because ants also do an initial flight before shedding their wings, meaning you don't want to prepare to tackle a termite infestation only to find out you're dealing with ants or vice versa. Luckily, termite wings have identical dimensions, thus making it easy to distinguish them from their ant-borne counterparts. Still, you should know you can get more reliable identifications by consulting local experts and online resources if you're unsure about what you have on hand.
Once you know what you're dealing with, you can solve your problem before working to prevent future repeats. Many retailers sell pesticides and other termite control products. However, you can get more reliable results from pest control services, which offer fast resolution before following up as needed to ensure absolute thoroughness. Termite services are also convenient sources of advice on discouraging termites from entering your property. This is critical because termite infestations tend to be subtle. That means you have extra incentive to prevent them because chances are good that they've already done expensive damage if you notice visible signs of their presence.
For more info, contact a local company like Good News Pest Solutions.