Most property owners don’t think of termites as seasonal pests, but these destructive insects do pose more of a threat at certain times of the year. Understanding Houston’s termite season can help you protect your home or business.
What is Termite Season?
Once termites have established a colony, they tend to stay in one place. However, after a colony has been in one place for a few years, some younger reproductive termites need to leave their home and establish a new one. During this time period, both males and females leave their original colonies and form pairs, which become the foundation for new colonies. The female becomes the new queen and can lay millions of eggs to create more termites. This is called swarming.
Termite swarms occur at different times depending on weather conditions. In general, they are triggered when the weather starts to warm up in the spring. Rainfall also encourages them to swarm.
Mid-Spring Termite Swarming
Termite season varies from year to year, but in general it occurs in mid-spring. In 2016, termite season is now and is continuing through April and May. This is a somewhat earlier start than usual, which may be due to warm weather and plenty of rain projected in the latter half of March.
Termites do not swarm continuously throughout the season. Light winds help them travel, so breezy days are more likely to see swarms. They are also more likely to swarm right after a rain, particularly if it rains in the morning and then clears up enough for them to travel in the warm afternoon weather. Swarms are most likely between the hours of 10 AM and 3 PM.
Protect Your Home or Business
Swarming season is often the easiest time to spot a subterranean termite infestation. Even if you are not home to witness the actual swarm, you should find lots of dead termites. They typically start swarming by climbing inside the walls of a building in search of an exit, and many of them go into the building by mistake. If you find insects that you think may be termites, collect a few as a sample to show a professional.
In the absence of clear signs of infestation, the best way to protect your property is to have an termite inspection done by a qualified pest control company in greater Houston. Inspectors can check for risk factors and subtle signs of termite infestation before any significant damage is done to your property.
Do you have a termite problem? Contact EnviroCon Pest for quality professional pest control in The Woodlands, Spring, Cypress, Tomball, Houston, and surrounding areas, today!