Flying Termites
All About Flying Termites
Flying termites do exist, and if you have been privy to a visit with a few of them in or around your home you may not need to panic just yet. Though these flight prone insects may be a sign that a colony is close by, these flying termites in particular will not actually cause an infestation problem. To be sure that this is not a winged ant that you are dealing with, you may want to check for a couple of tell tale signs. First of all, the flying termite has only two body parts, and in essence looks like a slender set of wings with a head when at rest. Also, the winged termite has straight antennae, whereas those of the ant are bent outwards. If you really want to take an up close and personal approach to this mystery bug, you may notice that the flying termite has two pair of wings which are equal in length, as opposed to the shorter set of secondary wings adorning the swarming ant.
What is the sole responsibility of these flying termites? Why, to reproduce of course. This is yet another similarity that this pest shares with his unrelated look alike, the ant. Flying termites can be either male or female, as the king and queen of the colony need all the help they can get in growing the colony, meaning that some of these reproducers will never leave the nest. The rest of the winged reproductive termites will not likely return to their original nesting site for hatching and raising their young, much like the swarming ants whose basic function is to spread seed and then die. It’s a one way trip for these little guys, and the female reproductive termites are to find a new establishment in which to begin a colony of their own.
Getting back to the flying termites at hand, if you feel that you may be experiencing a potential infestation problem, you should never hesitate to contact your trusted pest expert on the subject. As these flying termites are, in essence, mating and then immediately seeking new grounds for colonization, the presence of them in or around your home should cause slight preventative measures. The females, for instance, will be tuckered out after their maiden flights and mating rituals, and will basically burrow wherever she falls. The more quickly she hunkers down for rest, the more likely she is to succeed at becoming a queen one day. She may be slightly larger than the male, but to the novice eye she will simply look like a potential problem.
Flying termites, in summary, aren’t usually an issue in and of themselves, and their presence does not necessarily mean that you are already infested. They can, however, succeed in creating a colony should a strong female decide that the flower garden just below your bay window looks cozy enough for her new brood.