Do Flying Termites Swarm to Light?

Need to get rid of termites? Read on to learn the answers to all of your important questions. Need help? Call our professionals today to get started.

Flying Termites and Other Termite Colony Members

Termites live in large colonies that can include up to several thousand members. Most of this colony (between 90 to 98 percent) is made up of worker termites who are blind and deaf. Workers are pale yellow or creamy in color and are about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch long. The rest of the colony is made up of soldier termites and alates, which are winged termites and the only members of the colony besides the queen who can reproduce. This means that while there are many thousand members in a termite colony, only somewhere around 2 percent will have wings—and only for a brief period of time.

What Do Flying Termites Look Like?

Flying termites are darker in color than their other colony mates. They can be light in color, but many are dark brown or black. They range in size from 1/4 to 3/8 of an inch in length, depending on the termite species. Flying termites are often mistaken for flying ants and vice versa. Unlike ants, termites’ bodies do not narrow between the thorax and abdomen. Instead, flying termites have two straight antennae and a thick body that are single-segmented. Winged termites are the largest of the termites in the colony. 

Do Flying Termites Swarm To Light?

When mating season comes, the winged alates take flight to find mates and look for a new nesting site. This act of swarming is sometimes the only way that homeowners know that they have a termite issue. 

Winged termites are highly attracted to sources of light. You may find them swarming around street lamps and they may also even come into your home beckoned by one of your lamps. Luckily, termites aren’t very good fliers and generally rely on the wind to help them get places. Due to this, termite swarms do not last long and winged termites are unable to fly far away from their original nests.

Call A Pest Control Specialist

If you’ve noticed termite swarms or signs of termite swarms (piles of discarded wings, mud tubes, damaged wood and blisters in wallpaper or paint) near or in your home, it is time to call a pest care professional. Termites can do thousands of dollars worth of extensive damage and if you’ve seen swarmer termites, there is a good possibility you have a colony already munching away at your home. Pest Control Experts should be your call. We can recommend a great professional pest service near you that will be perfect for your particular termite elimination needs.