Pest office offers tips to fight back when swarming termites appear Published March 23, 2011 By Pest Management Office and Keesler News staff KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- It all starts on a warm, sunny morning. You're sitting there enjoying your morning paper and a cup of coffee when a small insect lands on the window sill. In a few moments several more bugs alight. You look around the room and suddenly realize you're not alone. The room is filling up with flying insects. In a few moments more of the room has become dense with flying ant-like pests. This common scenario causes most people to call an exterminator in the same way they'd call 911 if their kitchen was on fire. It's a sobering event. So what should you do if this occurs? First, the flying insects won't damage your belongings or harm you. Trying to stop the emerging insects is a challenge. This is the reproductive stage of the insect -- they're bursting out of the ground programmed to find a mate, get back in the ground and create a new colony. The termites that swarm inside a structure and can't get out will quickly die from lack of available moisture. A treatment for swarming termites doesn't need to be done since treatment for a swarm is not very effective and the activity stops when all swarmers have been released. "The termite infestation of structures at Keesler is minimal," said Phillip Remel of the pest management office. "The real problem is the swarming season. We're overloaded with calls from housing occupants wanting our department to perform immediate elimination of the flying insects. We try to educate the occupants over the phone that the swarms will die within a few hours. We don't have a safe insecticide to spray in their house to control the flying termites." Here are some facts about the termite swarming process: A "swarm" is a dispersal flight of winged termites to start new colonies. Subterranean termites typically swarm in the spring on warm, clear, sunny days following rain. Subterranean termite swarms usually occur between mid-morning and mid-afternoon and may last several hours. Formosan termites swarm during the evening around or just before dusk. Termites swarming indoors will attempt to get outside by flying toward light around windows and doors or even toward lights that are on in the room. Swarmers shed their wings after flight since they'll never fly again. If you experience a swarm: Close off the room in which the insects are swarming. Collect a few to show your inspector. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove insects after they've swarmed. If possible, note the exact locations from which the swarmers are emerging. The termites that swarm inside a structure and cannot get out will quickly die from lack of available moisture. Keep all windows and doors closed, turn off outside lights and close garage doors. To report swarms or for other pest control questions, call the pest management office, 377-3317, or CSC customer service, 377-7771.