What You Need to Know About Termite Swarm Season

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Stay ahead of the swarm. Learn why termites swarm in the spring, and who is at risk.

Spoiler alert: Every home is at risk. Termites don’t care if you have a brick home, log home, block home or even a home built on a concrete slab.

What exactly is swarm season?

Swarm season occurs when winged male and female termites, called swarmers, fly from their colonies to start new colonies. They shed their wings after landing, pair up with a mate and look for a suitable location to start a new colony as its queen and king.

termite swarm season

When is termite swarm season?

Swarmer termites emerge from the colony when daytime temperatures begin to warm up and rain becomes more frequent. Termites love damp weather. This can line up with the first day of spring, but may be later depending on your local weather conditions.

Swarm season can begin as early as late February in coastal Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. As the weather warms and rains increase, swarm sightings begin to spread throughout the South and gradually work their way east into Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee, and west into Texas and Arkansas. By late March, swarm season is usually at its peak in the South and is spreading throughout the rest of the country as it gradually thaws from winter’s cold.

Why do termites swarm?

It’s new colony initiation time for termites. Unfortunately for most homeowners, termite swarmers usually appear only when a colony is mature. That’s why it’s common to have two or more termite colonies around a home at once. The swarming event may last just a few minutes, so chances are better that you’ll see the wings they leave behind. Look for shed wings around windowsills, doors and heating vents, even bathtubs and sinks.

Wondering what your chances are for a termite infestation? Our Termite Risk Assessment tool only takes a minute to answer.

 

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