CSC pest management supervisor Phillip Remel shows termite damage at the base post office. The post office moves to a new facility this spring. (U.S. Air Force photo by Kemberly Groue)

'Tis the season for swarming insects

  • Published
  • Pest management office
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.

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.