Hard to believe but it won’t be long before we’ll be dealing with termites. Warm, damp spring days often result in swarms of dark, winged termites (see When Do Termites Swarm?).

Don’t panic if you think you see flying, swarming termites. Where you see them is crucial. If they’re outside of your home, they’re rarely a direct problem. Swarmers could be emerging from an old stump, but if they’re swarming from an opening or mud tube near the foundation, that should be checked. 

If you see termites swarming on the inside of your home, that definitely needs to be checked and usually requires treatment of some sort. Sometimes, though, winged termites are really winged ants and that involves a different solution. A pest control professional’s inspection can answer these questions: Could Be Termites – Are They In or Out?

HOMEOWNERS OFTEN INVITE TERMITES INSIDE

There are many species of termites that feed on and damage wood. In the Northeast, our main pest variety is the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes. These termites nest in soil (with very few exceptions) but can move from their nest sites to infest wood in structures.

Termites find suitable wood by randomly foraging through the soil. When they find buried wood or access to wood in a structure, they then recruit other termites from the colony. Subterranean termites prefer, and usually first infest, wood that is damp or has been damaged by water in the past. Areas where there may have been a plumbing leak, roof leak, or where there are condensation, moisture, or drainage issues are most susceptible to attack by termites (see Termites Are Attracted by Certain Conditions).

A Colonial Termite Specialist inspected damage.

If not blocked or intercepted, termites can enter your home through cracks in the slab, crevices around the foundation, openings around conduits, etc., or they can move from the soil directly into the wood if wood on your house is buried in or touches soil, or they can build mud tubes over an open space to reach the wood.

AT COLONIAL, TERMITE PREVENTION IS “COVID-RESPONSIBLE”

Our termite customers receive state-of-the-art protection with the environmentally-responsible Sentricon Always Active System that does its job on the outside, no inside mess. The system involves installation of several in-ground termite bait stations around the foundation. The stations contain specialized termite bait that termites prefer over wood. The in-ground bait stations are located by randomly foraging termites and the toxic bait inside is eaten and taken back to the colony where it’s shared with other termites, eventually killing the colony.

Unlike the old days of termite control, there is no soil trenching or injecting of chemicals, and no drilling of foundations or interior floors. The bait stations can be checked for termite activity and can be serviced on a regular basis by Colonial technicians without any direct customer contact.

Sentricon bait inspected, showing termites actively feeding on the baits.

This method of termite monitoring and control is perfectly suited to social distancing and other requirements imposed by today’s COVID-19 way of life. For more on the Sentricon System, see our service page, Termite Treatment Using the Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System, where you can also request a free quote. Or, give Colonial Pest Control a call; we’re happy to answer your questions.