Termite swarming is nature at its best. Swarms occur when the colony has the need to expand. Nature announces to the termite colony that it is time to divide. This swarming activity is also called budding or splitting. Several factors play a significant role in the swarming activity. Humidity is very important. High humidity, warm temperatures and low barometric pressure signals a new chapter in the life of a colony. A spring rain, if the temperatures are between 65 degrees and 95 degrees between the months of March and June, can set off the alarm putting in motion the survival of the colony.
New reproductive termites are called alates. These alates are young potential kings and queens of the colony that emerge to mate and then search out a place for the new queen to start producing eggs and build her new colony. After swarming, their wings break off and production begins. Swarms can number from the hundreds to thousands and seem to erupt and then disappear just as quickly. If a swarm develops outside the home, wind can carry the fledgling flyers great distances. The important thing to know is that if the swarmers do not quickly get back to the soil from where they came, they will certainly dehydrate. Most swarmers that emerge inside the home will die from dehydration. The mortality rate inside the living area of the home is very high. It has been estimated that a swarmer inside a dwelling has about a 1/1000 chance of survival and success in development of a new colony.
Now that we have discussed what a termite swarm is and what causes the swarm, we should also discuss how to tell the difference between swarming termites and ants. One simple way of telling the difference is that termite bodies are cigar shaped with a fat waist while the ant has 3 segments to its body with a small waist. If in doubt, catch a sample or take a good picture and get it to us to be assured of accurate identification. Be aware that those who may misidentify the insect may cost the customer hundreds or thousands of dollars when a treatment was not warranted in the first place. If you would like an identification card showing the difference between ants and termites, feel free to give a call. Inspections are also available. When looking at termite treatment pricing, remember this: if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.