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What is a Termite Swarm?
Termite swarms occur every year in Nashville. When the temperature and precipitation are just right, the reproductive, winged termites will flee from their colonies to serve their purpose of finding a mate and forming a new colony. Since one of the biggest challenges when it comes to termite control is locating the underground colony and uncovering hidden termite damage - termite swarms are a great indicator of where termites are nesting. But on the other hand, a termite swarm does mean there are wood destroying termites nearby.
Early Termite Swarms
If you call Nashville your home, you need to keep watch for swarming termites in the late winter and spring months. We get a handful of termite swarming calls in February… February is historically a bit too cold for the reproductive termites to develop and emerge to swarm. When we do find termite swarms in February, most of the time the homeowner likes their home nice an warm or they keep a fireplace going on a regular basis.
April 15th through May 15th
Historically, at All-American Pest Control (since 1961 in fact), we experience a spike in calls for swarming termites. When there is rain followed by a beautiful sunny day, the reproductive termites take flight and we expect phone calls from concerned homeowners. Termite swarms in Nashville do occur in March and early April, so go ahead and be on the look-out. We confirmed many swarm calls in March and the first two weeks of April. We just know from years and year of experience that April 15th give or take a few days and one good rain, provides the perfect condition for swarming termites in Nashville.
How do you know if it's termites or ants?
Flying ants and swarming termites are often times mistaken for one another. The most obvious way to know is if you can catch one, take a peek. Their bodies are really quite different. Termite swarmers have relatively straight antennae, a broad middle section, and wings that are similar in size and shape while flying ants have elbowed antennae, a pinched middle and wings that are different in size and shape.
The Threat
Termite swarms are an indicator that termites are lurking in and around your home. Unfortunately, unless you call Alaska your home, if you do not see a termite swarm this spring it doesn’t mean your home is safe from termite damage. Termites live in colonies with thousands, even millions of termites. The cost of termite damage to homeowners is estimated at $5 billion per year – which means termites cause more damage than fires, floods, and hurricanes combined.
Prevention & Protection
Early detection is key to keeping your home safe from termite damage. Keep these prevention and protection tips in mind this spring while you enjoy the outdoors, work in the yard and do your spring cleaning.
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Hire a professional to complete Annual Termite Inspections to look in, under and around your home for mud tubes, hollow wood, damage and moisture
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Move Scrapwood and Firewood out of your crawlspace and/or away from the foundation of your home
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Keep Moisture to a Minimum. Drain water away from your home, fix leaks, faulty windows, gutters, and ineffective downspouts.
For more articles we’ve written on termite swarms, termite damage and termite treatments, visit the following links or our pest control blog.
What does termite damage look like?
Top 10 Termite Prevention Tips
Termite Control in Nashville: Baiting Vs. Chemical Treatments
The best way to find out if you have termites is to call All-American Pest Control for a termite inspection! You could wait for a termite swarm but who wants to wait if there could be termites chewing away at the wood structure of your home now? Allow our team of Nashville exterminators to inspect and locate any termite damages or termite activity. If you do have a termite infestation or if you would just like the peace of mind of 24/7 termite protection, ask our TN pest control professionals about the Sentricon® System, the green solution in termite control. So before termites in Middle Tennessee start to swarm, give us a shout!