Although it might seem like it, termites don’t suddenly appear. They live in structures or outside under the ground near structures they’re infesting and can go unnoticed for quite some time. Drywood termites live in the wood they infest and subterranean termites live in nests in the ground outside the structures they infest, transporting the wood in structures back to their nests to feed their colony members via earthen tubes they construct that can be seen running up trees or your home’s exterior walls. Invasive Asian and Formosan subterranean termite colonies can number in the millions. With that many mouths to feed, Asian and Formosan subterranean termites are aggressive and will eat anything with cellulose in it, as well as eating through plastic and other non-wood materials to get to the wood in buildings.
Swarming
It may seem as if termites suddenly appear when they are in swarming mode. During mating season, winged reproductives, called alates, swarm at dusk in the spring months, usually after rainfall, to find a mate and start new colonies. Sometimes termites swarm because the colony has matured to the point where it is no longer manageable and new colonies need to form for the colony to survive.
Termites swarming outside your home or business may indicate that termites are infesting a tree or stump in your yard. That’s why removing dead trees and stumps from your property is important to avoid attracting termites to your home. When you see termites swarming inside your home or find discarded wings on window sills, these are good indications that termites are infesting your home or business.
At Petri Pest Control Services, we also recommend an annual inspection of your home so that you’re not caught by surprise when you find out you have a termite infestation. Contact us to schedule your annual termite inspection.
Why Do Termites Suddenly Appear in South Florida
Serving Broward County and Palm Beach County