What It Means If You’re Seeing Flying Termites Around Your Mooresville Home

What Are Flying Termites?

Termites in Mooresville are insects that infest wood and wooden structures around homes. There are three species found in Mooresville: drywood, dampwood, and subterranean termites. The species have some differences, but each type of termite eats wood. And each termite colony has reproductive termites, which are sometimes called alates. Only reproductive termites have wings so that they can start new colonies.

During warmer months, reproductive termites leave their colonies every year to start new ones. They fly around until they’ve found a mate and a place to establish a nest, and then they shed their wings. These flying termites are often called “swarmers” or swarming termites.

What It Means If You’re Seeing Flying Termites

If you see swarming termites around your property, that’s a good sign that there is or soon will be a termite colony nearby. Either the swarmers left a colony that was on your property, or they ended up on your property in search of a new nest. Once a termite colony is established, the termites stay almost exclusively in their nest or in the wood they eat. This means that you probably won’t see them at all.

Instead, there are a few other signs of a termite infestation you can look for. You might find the wings shed by swarmers, especially around windows. Termites leave behind frass, which is a sawdust-like material that is actually wood mixed with fecal matter. If your home is infested with subterranean termites, you’ll likely see mud tubes on the sides of your home. You might also find small holes in wood or notice that the wood around your home sounds hollow when tapped. It might also appear darkened or blistered.

Factors That Attract Flying Termites To Your Home

Termites are attracted to wood and to specific climates. Drywood termites seek out dry, hardwood; dampwood termites look for wood with higher moisture contents; subterranean termites need lots of moisture to live. When swarming termites come looking for a place to settle, they’ll find somewhere they can easily access.

In order to prevent termites from infesting your Mooresville home and causing damage, try these termite prevention tips:

• Seal any cracks in the walls
• Divert water away from the foundation of your home
• Make sure all areas of your home are well ventilated
• Store firewood at least 20 feet from your home
• Eliminate contact between wood and soil

Cracks in the walls and open, screen-less windows can let swarming termites into your home, where they’ll set up a colony. Pooling water and excess humidity can create the ideal environment for some types of termites. Moisture can also damage wood, which is beneficial for termites but not so much for you. Contact between wood and soil allows termites to travel more easily and reach your home.

Termites can cause substantial damage to your home. It’s important that infestations are removed as soon as possible to limit the harm they cause, which is why your best option is to contact a Mooresville termite control professional for help.

Contact The Pros For Total Termite Control For Your Home

With Lake Norman Pest Control, you never have to worry about termite management. Our termite treatments include both prevention and active termite control, which means that we can keep termites from even entering your home. We also offer repair services for damage caused by termites. Our termite control involves using specific products that we know are effective and safe. Call Lake Norman Pest Control today to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Mooresville.