TERMITE SWARMING SEASON IN HIGH GEAR

DALLAS -– It’s spring, and that means termites are back. But Texans can take steps to keep from being eaten out of house and home.

Eastern subterranean termites, the most common kind, cause the most economic damage in North America, said Kimberly Engler, Texas Cooperative Extension program specialist for urban Integrated Pest Management. About $11 billion is spent in the United States each year on termite control and damage repair.

In Texas, termites typically swarm from February to May. Swarming occurs in the daytime, when the temperatures are warm, and generally after a rainstorm.

“The swarming termite is dark black and often confused with a fire ant queen,” said Engler. “They initially have two pairs of equal-sized, milky wings when they swarm, but they lose their wings quickly.

“Many people confuse termites with ants,” she said. “Termites have straight antennae, the thorax is broadly joined to the abdomen rather than having a ‘waist’ as ants do. The worker termites are white and soft-bodied.”

Several ways can be used to identify the presence of termites. Outside, look for mud tubes that termites use to gain access to the wooden elements of a structure. Swarming termites often fly to windows and are noticed in large numbers on windowsills or in kitchens or bathrooms where they have swarmed from plumbing areas. Inside, termite infestations are not easily detected, but the damage they cause can be extensive. Subterranean termites live in wood buried beneath or in contact with the soil. Because they have evolved to live underground, their exoskeletons are thin and they are sensitive to temperature extremes and drying air.

“To guard against drying out, the termites tend to remain hidden and consume wood until only a thin outer layer remains, so their damage is hidden in many cases,” Engler said. “This makes it difficult for an inspector to find termites present in a structure. They are often not visible or accessible.”

Staying ahead of termites requires a combination of techniques and the willingness to try alternative treatments.

“To prevent termites from entering your home, you can eliminate conducive conditions by minimizing wood-to-ground contact,” Engler said. “Ninety percent of termite infestations around the home are due to wood-to-soil contact. Cellulose material found on or beneath the soil attracts termites and provides a convenient food source.”

Engler suggests removing stumps, cardboard boxes and scrap wood from around the home.

If termites are already a problem, try these two main options:

– First, contact a licensed professional who will conduct a thorough inspection, and if termites are detected, can apply a barrier treatment in order to protect the structure. The termiticide should be applied in a continuous barrier around and under the structure. A treatment of trenching and spraying or rodding of a termiticide is typically performed. Holes must be drilled and termiticide injected beneath the slab at points of plumbing penetrations or where there are cracks in the foundation

“While there are many termiticides available for use in controlling termite infestations, including many repellent pyrethroid compounds, currently, there are three compounds that are non-repellent that are registered for use as a liquid termiticide,” she said. “These active ingredient compounds are fipronil (Termidor), imidacloprid (Premise), and chlorfenapyr (Phantom).”

However, barrier treatments do not affect termite colonies in the soil away from the treated areas. The termites are prevented from entering the structure and are forced to find food elsewhere. Termites will change directions when they encounter an area treated with a repellent termiticide and will die when penetrating an area treated with a non-repellent termiticide.

– Second, install a baiting system around the home.

“The principle of a termite baiting system is based upon the use of bait stations where termites can gather and feed on the cellulose product that contains a toxicant,” Engler said. “These bait stations are placed in the ground or above-ground at points of active mud or shelter tubes, and the foraging termites feed on the toxicant and take it back to the colony.”

To increase the odds termites will find the bait stations, place them at fixed intervals around the home and in areas where they are suspected to be present, such as woodpiles or tree stumps. Baiting systems are designed to serve in population reduction and should be considered an “active” termite control strategy, requiring multiple visits to monitor the bait stations and add toxicant if necessary. Noticeable results may occur after several months to a year. If a baiting system does not show results, or if the active ingredient is not utilized in a reasonable period of time, consider a termiticide treatment to reduce further damage.

For more information about subterranean termites, including Formosan termites, which have been detected in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, please visit http://termites.tamu.edu or check out several Extension publications available online at http://tcebookstore.org.

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