TEXAS, USA — The first things people think of when it comes to spring is flowers, greenery and warm weather, but spring is just the beginning for all sorts of insects to come out.
However, spring brings out one specific insect that can lead to headaches and damage for homeowners across not only the Permian Basin, but to homeowners across the nation, termites.
The beginning of spring signals an uptick in what is called "termite swarming." Termite swarming occurs throughout the year, but it is most active during the spring due to a combination of warmer temperatures and moisture in the air that comes from rain.
Termite swarming is a form of reproduction for termites. A male and a female termite will break away from their colony to try and form a new one.
"Any one of them can mate together and make a queen and start a new colony," said Lonnie McComas, owner of X-Pert Termite and Pest Services. "Their whole purpose is to fly away from existing colonies and just expand the colony."
Termite swarmers won't normally begin inside a house, as they need the proper conditions to reproduce and survive. Once the male and female termites breed, they will find a spot to burrow underground, create a new colony and find food to eat.
Normally, their food would be the wood and the structure of homes. Termites do leave signs that a prospective homeowner can keep an eye out for to put an early end to the insects.
"We call them little kickers. They look like someone threw a tiny dirt clod against the sheet rock," said McComas. "What they'll do is eat through the wall and when it is time to swarm, then they create what is like an airport forum. When you wipe that dirt off, there will be a hole there."
Homeowners should not spray the termites they see with an insect spray. While that will wipe out any termites on the surface that can be seen, it will not eliminate the whole colony, which is most likely burrowed underground.
To get to the root of the problem, homeowners should contact a pest control agency as soon as they see early signs of termite swarming.