We often get asked, “Can termites fly?” Well, not all termites can fly, but there are flying termites.
There are different castes or types of termites in the termite nest. The most common caste is the worker caste, which are sometimes called “white ants”. These are the termites that do all the damage, chewing wood up for food and taking it back to the nest. The worker termites cannot fly. As workers do all the eating, you might think these are the termites to be the most concerned about, however, the caste that should cause homeowners the most worry, are the flying termites.
So, what are flying termites and why should you be worried about them?
What are flying termites?
Flying termites are termite reproductives (or alates), the new termite kings and queens that leave the colony to start new nests. These alates are released in large numbers once a year, creating a termite swarm.
After the mating flight these reproductives fall to the ground and shed their wings (become de-alates). They then try and pair up and, if they are successful, they crawl away in tandem to find a suitable place to try and start a new nest.
Obviously, it is a concern if you have new kings and queens trying to start a new nest in or around your house. However, the bigger question to ask is where are the flying termites coming from?
Where do the flying termites come from?
Flying termites only come from mature (large) termite nests. As flying termites are weak flyers, if you find flying termites around your house, it means there is a large termite nest nearby, which means you may already have termites attacking your house.
Often termite nests are well hidden, often underground, commonly in the trunk / root ball of trees. However, to get some elevation before taking to the wing, the nest will often try and create flight slits higher above ground to make it easier for the flying termites to take off. You may see flight slits in tree trunks up to a couple of metres above ground.
Of course, if flying termites are appearing from walls, window frames or doorways inside your house, it means you have a termite nest in or under your house and you probably already have significant termite damage. Often the appearance of flying termites is the first sign homeowners realise they may have a problem.
Why do flying termites suddenly appear?
Flying termites can only be produced by mature termite colonies, as it takes a large termite colony with lots of workers to collect all the food to provide the energy for a colony to produce termite reproductives. It also takes a lot of time, generally nests can only produce one termite swarm a year.
As they need to time the release of the alates to maximise their chances of survival, the conditions have to be perfect to release the termite swarm. To maximise the chances of finding a mate, it makes sense for other nearby nests to release their termite swarms at the same time. So, mature termite nests all wait for the perfect conditions and when their occur, the flying termites suddenly appear.
When is termite swarming season in Melbourne?
The time of the year when there’s the most termite swarms vary – it depends on the termite species and the location in the country. In Melbourne, peak termite swarming season is from mid Oct to early November, although you may get occasional swarms on any warm, humid and still night during spring and summer.
What’s the difference between flying termites and flying ants?
Ants have a similar reproductive strategy and also release swarms of reproductives on warm, humid nights in spring and summer. However, since flying termites are a real cause for concern for homeowners (i.e. They could create a nest that eats your house!) and flying ants are only really a nuisance, it makes sense to be able to tell the difference between flying termites and flying ants.
There are 2 key points of difference:
- Compare the wings: Flying termites have two pairs of wings of the same size. Flying ants have two pairs of different sized wings.
- Look at the waist: Flying termites don’t have an obvious waist and appear to have two body sections. Flying ants have a very obvious waist, creating three obvious body sections.
What should I do if flying termites appear at my house?
If you find flying termites around your house, it is important you get a professional termite inspection immediately.
Their presence means there will be a large termite nest nearby or maybe even a nest in or under your house. Your house could already be under termite attack, and even if it isn’t, there is a high chance of a termite attack in the future. A termite inspection is the first step to determine whether termites are attacking your home, whether the nest is on your property and what actions should be taken to deal with any termites present or prevent a termite attack in the future.
If you have flying termites, give us a call at Termites VIC to book a trusted, comprehensive termite inspection.