WHAT ARE TERMITE SWARMERS?

Termite swarmers (also known as alates) exist with one purpose and one purpose alone: to reproduce. As environmental conditions begin to favor termite reproduction, termite swarmers pack tightly inside exit tubes while they wait for the perfect conditions. Once the perfect conditions arrive, termite swarmers emerge from their exit tubes in numbers that can reach the thousands.

Termite swarmers do not see very well, but they can detect light and they are highly attracted to it. This is one reason why they are commonly found near windows and doors of homes. They fly toward the light in hopes of finding a safe place to call home.

A successful termite swarm will result in a coupling of male and female termite swarmers in an environment hospitable to termite colony success. These areas can be dead trees, wooden baseboards, wooden subfloor, or any other type of wood that a termite can use to eat. The male will go on to become the new colony’s king while the female will become the new colony’s queen. She could lay up to 1,000 eggs per day at her most productive stage.

WHAT DO TERMITE SWARMERS LOOK LIKE?

Termites belong to the order isoptera. They are classified this way because they have wings that are the same length. Termites are closely related to cockroaches and are rugged survivors in the same way that cockroaches are.

At first glance, a termite swarmer looks a lot like a black ant with white or clear wings. Looking a little closer though, one will see that the termite swarmer’s body sections are not as well defined as an ant’s. An even closer look will show that the termite has wings that are the same length while an ant’s wings will be varying lengths.

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Our Official Georgia Wood Infestation inspections are available in Albany, Leesburg, Camilla, Pelham, Meigs, Sylvester, Cordele, Lake Blackshear, Americus, Smithville, Bronwood, Dawson, Sasser, Leary, Morgan, Arlington, Blakely, Fort Gaines, Newton, Bainbridge, and Cairo.

You can call our office at 229-436-3215 to learn more.