It is estimated that over 2 million homes are damaged by termites every year. Unfortunately, most of these homeowners are completely unaware that a hoard of wood-destroying pests is silently eating the wood in their homes.

One of the most common ways people first learn their home has termites is when they see winged termites, or their broken off wings. Winged termites, called “swarmers”, are the males and females that start new colonies. These emerge and fly up into the air, often for only a few minutes, then land, lose their wings, pair up, and begin searching for places to start new colonies.

Termites swarm at various times of the year, but many come out in the early spring, often on a warm day after a rain. Hundreds of these pests often emerge from a single colony. They may all come out at once, or in batches over several days or weeks when the conditions are right.

Swarmers are a good warning that termites are present, but it’s not an early warning. A termite colony is generally four to five years old before it begins to produce its first swarmers. So if you see numbers of swarmers indoors, they are coming either from a colony that has been active for at least four years, or from an established colony that has moved into your home.

Don’t take a chance if you see swarmers indoors—call us right away to schedule an inspection by a trained and certified professional. Termites are an invisible threat that you want to take care of properly, before they cause more damage.