A Guide To Termite Swarmers For Imperial Valley Property Owners

If termites invaded your Imperial Valley property, would you even know about it? There are a lot of things you might not know about termite activity, and termite swarmers are probably in that category. However, understanding what the presence of termite swarmers means and what can bring them to your property could be your secret to avoiding thousands of dollars’ worth of damage.

Swarmers & Other Signs

Termites are wood-eating pests that prefer to feed on moist or rotting wood, and they usually go undetected for long periods of time. That’s why they’re able to do such costly damage to homes and businesses all over the country. Worker termites will eat the wooden parts of your home’s foundation day and night without sleep, but it still takes over 18 months for them to do more than $3,000’ worth of damage on average.

Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to notice worker termites as they eat your home, so focusing on swarmers might be an easier way to spot an infestation early. Swarmers are winged termites in charge of recolonization, so they’ll congregate about twice a year in the perfect conditions. Warmer, muggy weather creates the right condition is for swarmers to recolonize, which is why the summertime is considered termite season.

Even though swarmers won’t gather for long, you may notice their shed wings along the ground during termite season, which is a good indication of an existing or impending infestation. Other signs that you should be able to notice all year long (if you know what to look for) include:

• Mud tubes on foundation walls

• Tightening of doors and windows

• Damage to visible wood like outdoor decks and fences

• Clicking noises within the walls

Important note: if you do notice these signs, don’t waste your time on store-bought remedies that only yield inconsistent results. The only way to get rid of termites for good is with professional assistance.

Preventing Termite Problems

Even though there isn’t anything you can do to get rid of termites on your own after they get a foothold on your property, there are things you can do on your own to make your home less hospitable to termites. They can be difficult to spot, so your best chances of avoiding expensive damage is to eliminate things that attract them to your property in the first place.

So what do termites look for in a potential home? Termite swarmers are attracted to lights, especially lampposts and outdoor light fixtures. Keeping your outdoor lights off at night and placing other light fixtures away from the home can keep swarmers away from the structure. However, since swarmers aren’t the most effective fliers, they’ll typically swarm near their nests anyways.

Making your yard less hospitable to termite nests is all about limiting moisture and accessibility to your home. Since termites prefer to feed on moist, rotting wood, then controlling moisture buildup with the following methods is a must:

• Dehumidifiers in poorly ventilated areas 

• Monitoring pipes for leaks 

• Gutters and downspouts to expel rain runoff 

• Regular lawn maintenance

To limit accessibility, you can implement a buffer of about 12-18” around the perimeter of the house. Pine straw, rubber mulch, and gravel usually yield the best results to prevent termites from crawling into the foundation of your home.

Even though these methods can be effective in most cases, nothing provides guaranteed assurance against termites other than professional termite control. For a termite-free home in Imperial Valley no matter what, give Imperial County Pest Control a call today. We can help!