Being in such humid areas, we often get asked how to get rid of flying termites. If you’re seeing them fly around your home, unfortunately, that often means that you already have a termite infestation. You should call a pest control company immediately to bring an exterminator out. To get rid of flying termites, you’ll have to drill into your walls, apply pesticide, and monitor and bait them.
It’s fairly difficult to get rid of termites without the best product. In fact, termites are notorious for shrugging your DIY methods right off of their shoulders. You’ll need to bring in the big guys, and that’s a termite exterminator. You can click here to see our pricing for flying termite extermination. But, what are flying termites? How do they get into your home in the first place? To learn how to get rid of flying termites, you first need to know how they get there.
What do flying termites look like?
How do you know you’re really dealing with flying termites? With flying ants, flying termites, and other flying bugs that give you the creepy crawlies all over, it can be hard to know what you’re truly dealing with. However, flying termites have these distinguishable characteristics:
- Boxy bodies that are straight
- Straight antennae
- Long, symmetrical wings
- Dark tan to brown coloring
Flying ants often get mistaken for termites. If you’re seeing a flying bug that looks like an ant or termite in your home, it’s scary! Thankfully, flying ants are much easier to deal with and cause less damage. You’re dealing with a flying ant infestation if they have:
- Pinched waists
- Black bodies
- Asymmetrical wings that are delicate
- Antennae that are bent in the middle like an elbow
What do flying termites do?
Flying termites don’t fly for fun. They fly because they’re getting ready to find their new home. And sometimes, your home looks like the best home for them. That means they’ll fly around your house looking for a place to land, mate, and reproduce. Though it’s the king and queen of the colonies that have wings, that doesn’t mean you’re going to see two flying termites.
You’re going to see a lot more than that. These termites are called swarmers, and they’re going off to become the kings and queens of their own colonies. So, you could see a lot of them. If you’re seeing them inside your house, it’s time to take action—and fast! Even if you see them outdoors, that means there are termites nearby. Though they may be outside of your home, it’s only a matter of time before they get inside.
Are flying termites bad?
Here’s the thing: Flying termites aren’t going to hurt you, but they will hurt your wallet. Not all termites fly, and it’s the king and queen that grow wings and fly off to start a new colony. Once they fly off, they’ll start their colony and mate underground. They can actually live for up to 10 years!
Problem is, if you’re seeing flying termites, that means you’ve had termites for quite some time. When termites fly, they’ve been there for so long that they are starting a new colony. So, if you see flying termites, it’s never a good sign. Termites cause damage to the structure of your home, and with multiple colonies, they could be eating your wood and causing serious damage.
As soon as you see flying termites, you need to do something about them.
How to get rid of flying termites
This is the hard part. Flying termites are hard to get rid of. Though they may die quickly if they do not find a new home for their colony, they will live a very long time if they do find a new spot. Because of this, they are really hard to get rid of.
It’s not so much the flying termites you have to worry about but rather the preexisting termites. If you’re seeing termite swarmers in your home, that means you already have a problem. These swarmers come once the colony is healthy and well, so you could have termites.
To get rid of flying termites, you’ll have to attack the problem as a whole. You’ll need to find where the exit holes are that the termite swarmers came from. That’s where your preexisting termite colony exists. But, it can be hard to find this if you’re not a trained exterminator. Even after you find this, then you’ll need to saturate the walls and damage with a termite insecticide to stop the colony from reproducing and causing more damage to your home. Because of this, it’s important to get professional help to save your home.
10 signs of termites
Before the swarmers arrive, you may find that there are signs of termites that you have overlooked. Here are some of the common signs:
- Discolored or maze-like patterns in your drywall or furniture
- Wood anywhere in your home that sounds hollow
- Squeaky floorboards
- Holes in your drywall
- Windows or doors that won’t open
- Tiles that are shifting or lifting
- Mud tubes around the outside of your home
- Wings around your house
- Peeling paint that can look like water damage
- Crumbling wood
What to do if you see flying termites
Sometimes, you may never see the flying termites. You may just see what they’ve left behind, which are wings. If you’re seeing random wings in your home, that means there could have been a termite swarm while you were out. It’s a lot more common than you think. Whether you’re seeing the wings or the actual termites, there are a few things you should do.
First, try and secure one of the wings or termites inside a bag so you can show it to an exterminator. This will let them know exactly what they are dealing with. It’s not always termites, or if it is, there are multiple types of termites and the exterminator needs to know which type you have.
Then, call an exterminator. While you can try to use termite baits, traps, or DIY methods, this is not a pest you want to mess around with. It can take a long time to figure out what works, and in the meantime, these termites are getting stronger and causing more damage. To protect your home and investment, call a pest control company as soon as you see flying termites.
What will an exterminator do for flying termites?
When you call an exterminator, they will first come out and inspect your property. They have to see what they’re dealing with and where the termites are coming from. After the initial inspection, they’ll explain your options. If you’re seeing flying termites indoors, there’s a good chance that you have a colony that will need to be treated.
To treat termites, they may have to cut drywall or open up your walls where the infestation is happening. Then, depending on how long the termites have been there, you may have to do some structural repairs once the exterminator is done.
With a powerful insecticide, the exterminator will saturate the colony and get rid of them all. When it’s all said and done, you should turn toward prevention. With termites, prevention is the best option.
What is a termite bond?
Some people like to get a termite bond. This is a preventive measure with a pest control company where they come out to inspect your property every year and ensure that termites are not infesting your home again.
Conclusion: How to get rid of flying termites
Termites are difficult to deal with, which is why you should call a pest control company in your area. If you’re in the Dallas–Fort Worth or Charleton, SC areas, call us at Vinx Pest Control today. We provide inspections, termite prevention, and termite control and extermination throughout the entire area including downtown by the American Airlines Center to Flower Mound and Frisco. We also have exterminators across Charleston County in South Carolina. Since we know how important your home is, we offer a guarantee on our work. With over 230 reviews on Google and a 4.9 rating, you can be sure we’ll get the job done!
Flying termites or termites of any kind are no match for our Dallas, Sulphur Springs, Charleston, or Greenville exterminators.