Have you ever heard someone say, “It seems like the only season here in Texas is summer.”? This comment can seem a bit funny if you are a local. If you have lived here in Dallas long enough, you can feel the difference between a swelteringly hot summer day and a brisk winter evening. The only problem is that although winter can feel cold to us, it does not get chilly enough to end termite season.
Up north, termite season typically comes to a close as the temperature drops and stays below 50 degrees. Seeing that it almost never gets that cold here in Dallas, termite season is usually a year-round event. Our question for you today is, is your home prepared to keep termites out?
What Are Termite Swarmers?
A big part of termite season is termite swarmers. These winged termite kings and queens are the main way that termite colonies expand. These airborne reproductive termites look a lot like flying ants but there are differences. The biggest difference can be seen in their larger wingspan and more uniform bodies. You can also look at their midsection. If you see pinched segments, then it’s a flying ant. If its body looks like a stretched oval, then it is most likely a termite swarmer.
Spotting Swarmers Outside Your Home
Have you noticed swarmers around your property? To check for them, investigate your home's and outbuilding's exteriors. Most commonly swarmers can be found perching on window sills or structural wood. If any are found, here are some things you can assume.
- There is a fully mature termite colony within a mile of your home.
- Your home is being evaluated as a potential source of food.
- A new colony could be started very close by.
The good news is that seeing swarmers outside means there is still time for early prevention. Here are some things we recommend you do to make your home less attractive and accessible to hungry termites.
- Address moisture problems in and around your home. To do this start by fixing any leaky pipes within your home. Next, make sure your gutters are in good working order. To finish, consider installing dehumidifiers around your home in humid areas.
- Clean your yard of organic debris such as wood stacks, leaf piles, cardboard, dead stumps, and other wood-based products.
- Fill in gaps and cracks in your home’s exterior using a caulking gun.
- Restrain from using wood-based mulch on your property.
- Make sure there is a barrier of either stone or concrete between exterior soil and your home’s wood.
What It Means If Swarmers Are Inside
If you have been noticing a large number of swarmers or their wings present inside your home, we have some bad news for you. Unless windows or doors have been left open, the only place these swarmers could have come from is from within your home’s walls. This is bad news as it means there is a fully mature colony of termites already eating away at your home. To prevent them from doing any further damage, we recommend letting the professionals here at Dynasty Pest Control lend you a hand.
At Dynasty, we have two proven solutions to deal with termites on your property. The first is Sentricon® System with Always Active™. This system uses bait stations to effectively lure in and eliminate not only existing termites but any future termites trying to get a bite out of your home. Your second option is Termidor®, a liquid-based termite control applied around your home’s exterior which is designed to kill termites as draw close to your home.
To have one of these methods applied around your Dallas home, give us a call today.