5 things to know about termite swarms

For Formosan termites specifically, swarming season is most common during mid-May.

The Enterprise spoke Bart Foster, technical and training director for Beaumont’s Bill Clark Pest Control, to get his “bugspertise” about Formosan subterranean termites in Southeast Texas.

1. Formosan termite season started earlier than usual in Southeast Texas this year.

Foster said the company received calls about Formosan termites swarming in Vidor during the end of April and beginning of May.

"We started a little early this year, surprisingly," Foster said. "It's all driven by weather conditions. So, it might vary a little bit each year."

Usually, the season begins in mid-May and lasts into the beginning of June, with the peak being the weekend of Mother's Day or the following weekend.

2. Swarming usually happens for an hour or so each night throughout the season.

Foster said the Formosan swarms usually occur several evenings throughout the few weeks of the season for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

"Formosan termites actually swarm at night, and they're attracted to lights," Foster said. "If they swarm in a neighborhood, they're probably going to fly to a lot of the porch lights and a lot of the streetlights in that area."

RELATED: Termite swarms alert residents before damage is done

3. Formosan swarms don't necessarily mean there is an infestation.

"Seeing (Formosan termites) at a house doesn't necessarily mean the house is infested. They may have to flown to the light, but it definitely does show you that there are termites in close proximity to the house," Foster said. "But it's not something to ignore."

Foster said the swarmers don't bite, sting or directly feed on the wood themselves. They're fed by workers once a colony has been established, but the swarmers themselves don't cause damage.

Due to this, in recent years, rumors have been spread around Southeast Texas saying that you don't have to worry about the swarmers. 

"You definitely need to be concerned and you need to do something to protect your home from the colonies that are in the ground, not as much as the swarmers themselves," Foster said. "They're the very same type of termite that can really be destructive and eat a lot of wood. It's just that the swarmers themselves aren't the immediate threat. It's the colonies that are in the soil, but the swarmers are showing you that colonies are close to the home."

Foster said although it's not a panic, it's the middle of the road because you need to be aware you have colonies close to your structure and need to protect it.

4. When it comes to termites, it's better to be proactive than reactive.

"With the swarmers, the best thing to probably do is, (since) the swarm doesn't last very long, I would turn off the lights just to get have less of them fly to the home," Foster said. "If any get in the house, they could be just swept up or vacuumed up."

Foster said that although it's common to wait to react to some pest issues until they happen, with termites, you want to be proactive and treat before you have damage, because waiting too long could cause thousands of dollars in repairs.

"The thing with termite damage is it's not covered by homeowners insurance in almost every case, and it's considered preventable," Foster said. "Because of the potential economic damage to the home, we want to be proactive."

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, ways to prevent termites include fixing leaks immediately, keeping vents free from blockages, ensuring that trees and shrubs are not planted to close to the structure of the home and not storing or piling wood next to or in the home.

Homeowners can also use various termite bait systems and liquids to treat their homes. While a homeowner can treat their own home, Foster said it may be easier for a professional with the right equipment to tackle the task. 

5. If you see termites in your home, call a professional for an inspection.

Foster said if you find termites in your home, its important to keep a few in a Ziploc bags as samples if you plan to call for an inspection. Keeping samples allows for inspectors to determine if it is not a winged ant and to distinguish the species of termite.

"Usually calling right in the middle of the swarm is not going to help a whole lot because by the time somebody got to your home, the swarm will have stopped anyway," Foster said. "Since the swarmers aren't really a direct threat themselves to the structure (and) aren't hurting a person, so the best thing to do is to vacuum or sweep them up, turn off the lights, reduce the numbers coming into the home, save a sample and then call for an inspection."

Inspection will allow the professionals to look for evidence on the home itself and let clients know if treatment is needed to fix a current problem or just to help prevent the home from having termite issues down the road.

Foster said Bill Clark Pest Control may get between 400 to 500 calls about termites the morning after a big swarm in the area.

"We'll get schedules booked out for several weeks trying to get out and do an inspections," Foster said.