How to Prevent and Get Rid of Flying Termites

Living in Jacksonville, Florida means you are surrounded by a unique ecology including wildlife like dolphins, manatees, panthers, and even alligators. One of the most destructive wildlife residents in our area are flying termites, an insect that feeds on the material found in dead plants and wood.

According to an estimation by LSU’s College of Agriculture, termite damage costs Americans over $2 billion each year in damage to homes and other structures. Termites swarm in warm and humid weather. Once they have found a good source of food, they set up a colony that eats wood 24 hours a day. They can do a lot of damage in a very short time.

Keep reading to learn how to identify and prevent termite infestations.

Identifying Termites

Termites live in colonies, like ants and bees, and colonies can become very large. However, it’s hard to spot a termite colony because they don’t make anthills or beehives. Instead, they live underground and their colonies are hard to find.

Termites go through several stages in their life cycles. The one most familiar to us is the flying termite stage. DUring this stage, termites grow wings so they can leave the hidden colony to find mates and start a colony of their own. It’s usually only the flying termites that are noticed. Termites in other stages stay underground to eat.

It is easy to confuse a flying termite with a flying ant. Ants have pronounced body segments and curved antennas, while termites have no segments and straight antennas. If you have found flying termites in your home, we can inspect your home with our Termatrac ® technology, guaranteed to find a termite infestation.

Signs of a Termite Infestation

An average termite infestation costs the homeowner $3000. If left untreated, the termites can cause structural damage that can cost much more than that. Prevention is the best way to avoid these costs, but stopping an infestation as soon as you can is the next best thing. Keep an eye out for the following signs that your home may be infested with termites:

• Flying termites shed their wings. During a swarm, you may find piles of wings in windowsills, light fixtures, or on other surfaces.
• Termites build mud tunnels as bridges from their colony to their feeding area. Look for small mud tubes around your home’s exterior.
• Look for areas of weak or hollow sounding wood in your home. This could be in the walls, ceilings, floors, or even under cabinets or crawlspaces. The wood may look water damaged. If broken open, you may find bored tunnels or even termites inside.

If you come across any of these signs, don’t hesitate to call Bug Evictors to eradicate the colony and stop further damages and costs.

Preventing Termite Infestation

Even if your house isn’t primarily wood, you can be assured that it still contains enough to lure termites to feed. Almost all frames and support beams in all types of houses are wooden, and therefore at risk of damage by termites. Every homeowner should take proper steps to prevent termite infestation to avoid the destruction and cost they can cause.Cut off access to your home by termites. Seal gaps around piping and other entry points to your house.

Don’t let rotting or dying wood gather in or near your home. This means fallen limbs and discarded building products.

Prevent excess moisture in or around your home. Fix any leaks and take steps to correct areas that can be flooded or collect pools of water outside.

The best prevention for termite infestation is integrated pest management, including inspection and treatment, by a licensed, professional pest control company.

Bug Evictors’ licensed professionals provide subterranean termite treatments and prevention programs using the most environmentally-friendly yet effective products available.