Preparing for Swarms

Mar 27, 2014 | Uncategorized

With Spring upon us, the temperature will start to get warmer, finally! This is great news for us, but it also means that insects are beginning to come out of hibernation. Two insects of great concern, particularly in the spring, are the ant and the termite.

Both of these insects, flying ants and termites, will begin to swarm soon, so it is important to know the differences between them so you can help out your Pest Management Professional. Should you catch one, there are three noticeable differences between a flying ant and a termite.

  1. Ants have bent antennae. They look like they have an elbow. Termites have straight antennae.
  2. Ants have a narrow waist. Have you seen the old pictures of women in corsets? That is what the waist of an ant swarmer will look like. The termite looks uniform from top to bottom.
  3.  Ants have wings that are two different lengths – the best analogy is a butterfly wing. The top wing is longer than the bottom one, similar to how a butterfly wing looks. Termites have wings that are the same length. (I caught one the other day, and it looked like one giant wing stacked together, not four individual parts.)

flying ants vs termites

If you see swarmers and are worried, call your local Northwest Exterminating Service Center. They will be happy to help you with all of your pest control needs, and can target problem insects as needed.

Katherine King
[email protected]

Early Warm Temps, Early Termites

Feb 28, 2012 | Termite Control

If you are anything like me, you are loving this unseasonably warm weather that we are experiencing in Georgia.  It’s been a nice preview of what is in store for us come Spring time.  That being said, I’m not looking forward to the cold snap that we will inevitably experience before Spring comes around.  I’m also not looking forward to an earlier termite season due to the warm temperatures.

Termites aren’t usually moving this time of year because the temperature is typically below 60 degrees.  When temperatures are above 60, that is when termites start to swarm.  And when they start to swarm, they start inside your home before moving outside.  Unfortunately, once you find out that you have termites in your home, damage has most likely already occurred.  And termites can do some serious damage, causing up to $5 billion of damage each year in the US.

Oftentimes, termites are mistaken for flying ants.  If you think you see what appears to be flying ants, call your termite control company, such as Northwest Exterminating, to come inspect your home.  Termites look for moisture in and around homes, so be sure that any standing water or leaking pipes are adequately taken care of.  Look for mud tunnels, usually the size of a pencil, that are created on the inside or outside of the home’s foundation.  Clean gutters and pull back soil and mulch from the home’s foundation where termites can find their way into the wood of a structure.

If you have questions about termites or suspect that termites may be in your home, call Northwest Exterminating today and we will be happy to come out and conduct a FREE termite inspection.

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