Spring Awakening: Termite Swarms Are Taking Flight – What Should You Do About Them?

What Are Termite Swarms?

As springtime spreads across the Southeastern United States, there’s a quiet yet awe-inspiring transformation occurring underground. It’s happening all across the region, many thousands of times. Deep within their labyrinthine nests, subterranean termites are stirring, poised for one of nature’s most fascinating phenomena — swarming season. Springtime is when termites swarm and homes are most at risk for infestation.

Throughout March and April, Nashville’s rolling green hills, Chattanooga’s river valleys, Huntsville’s wooded suburbs, the sprawling neighborhoods of Marietta and North Atlanta, and countless more towns and cities will play host to this ancient ritual. Here’s what you need to know about termite swarming season and how to protect your home.

What Do Termite Swarms Look Like?

If you’ve never dealt with them before, it’s understandable that you don’t know what termite swarms look like. The first signs are subtle: small, silken-winged insects emerging from cracks in foundation walls, tree stumps, or the seams of wooden structures. 

Then, in an instant, the air is alive with them. Thousands of alates — the technical term for reproductive termites — ascend in a synchronous cloud, drawn by the invisible allure of pheromones. 

The spectacle is short-lived. Within minutes, the fragile termites land, and their wings break off. Now grounded, they pair off to found new colonies. What follows is silent but relentless: new queens burrow into the earth, their tiny abdomens heavy with the promise of a growing empire.

How do you tell if you have swarming termites? These are a few things to look for and keep in mind:

• Discarded wings: Often near windowsills, doors, or other entry points.
• Frass (termite droppings): They resemble tiny wood-colored pellets or ball bearings.
• Small holes in wooden structures: These may be where swarmers emerged.
• Take note of the weather: Swarming typically occurs on warm days after rain.
• Time of day: Swarms often appear during daylight hours.
• A cloud of insects: If you see them flying at a distance, you might think it’s a cloud of bees or mosquitoes.
• It doesn’t last long: Termite swarms usually only last for about thirty minutes to a couple of hours.
• The presence of the termites themselves: Make sure you know how to tell the difference between termites and carpenter ants.

For more information, check out our comprehensive article on how to identify termite infestations and termite damage.

What to Do About Termite Swarms

If you spot swarming termites on your property, consider it a flashing red warning sign. While this doesn’t mean you need to rush out and fumigate your home immediately, it definitely warrants your attention.

We recommend conducting a thorough inspection of your house and property for further termite evidence. You can certainly handle this yourself if you’re confident in identifying these pests, but be aware that termites often leave subtle signs that aren’t always obvious to the untrained eye. That’s precisely why we strongly recommend scheduling a professional termite inspection whenever you have concerns about swarmers. When it comes to protecting your home from these persistent wood destroyers, a professional assessment offers unbeatable peace of mind.

• Do a thorough inspection by yourself: You know your house best, so look for signs of anything unusual. If you don’t find anything suspicious, continue monitoring the situation.
• Get a professional inspection: Professional termite exterminators know what to look for and can spot things that get missed by DIY inspectors.
• Eliminate sources of excess moisture: All insects rely on moisture for survival, but termites are moisture-seeking insects that tend to be more common in areas with excess moisture.
• Remove damp wood, rotting wood, or wood that’s stored near your house: Damp and rotting wood are like filet mignon for termites, and anytime there’s wood stored near your house it provides an easy access point.
• Have diseased, dead, or rotting trees removed from the property: Termite colonies and nests are often in old trees that are dead or dying.

Does Killing a Termite Swarm Prevent Future Infestations?

If you spot swarming termites and apply termiticide immediately, it seems like that should solve the problem, right? Unfortunately, no, it probably won’t completely eliminate the issue. When you see swarmers gathered in one area, you’re likely only seeing a fraction of the actual population. These visible termites are just indicators that many more exist nearby, and numerous swarmers will escape your treatment efforts to establish new colonies.

Stop Termite Swarms from Turning into Termite Damage

Termite queens can lay thousands of eggs daily, allowing infestations to grow at an alarming rate. A single swarm has the potential to establish multiple colonies, meaning that even if you eliminate one, others could already be developing elsewhere. Left untreated, these persistent pests can cause tens of thousands of dollars in structural damage to homes.

The experts at Lookout Pest Control will ensure it doesn’t happen to your home. We use a combination of state-of-the-art treatment methods and long-term exclusion tactics – and our knowledgeable local technicians go above and beyond with every service.

Here’s what makes our termite control different:

• With over 40 years of expertise in the Southeast, our team knows exactly where termites thrive and how to stop them before they compromise your property.
• Our Trelona® and Sentricon® baiting systems provide continuous, year-round defense, ensuring your home remains protected from these silent destroyers.
• At Lookout Pest Control, we specialize in early detection and long-term termite prevention. Our advanced treatment methods, from barrier applications to baiting systems, create an impenetrable shield against these wood-devouring invaders.
• From seasonal termite inspections to year-round rodent prevention, we offer expertise that national chains simply can’t match. Our service professionals don’t just treat homes — they build relationships with the families we protect.

Schedule a Complimentary Termite Inspection Today

Termites are waking up, but Lookout Pest Control is ready. Our professionals know exactly when and where to find new and existing termite colonies, and most importantly, how to eliminate them within your home.

Don’t settle for a generic termite solution – we customize our approach based on your specific situation. If you’re looking forward to enjoying a termite-free home this spring, reach out to us today and schedule a complimentary inspection!