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Also known as alates or termites of the reproductive stage, male and female alates fly from existing colonies to form new nests elsewhere. A flying termite swarm close to the home nest may indicate a large settlement on or near the yard. Residents who find multiple halls indoors, notice their doors and windows shed wings, or see them emerge from the house’s exterior can experience an active infestation within their homes. Do you know how to get rid of termites with wings in the house?
How Serious Are Flying Termites?
Termites are one of the most harmful insects in homes. It takes three to six years for the colonies to mature to the point where the colony produces alates. The termite workers who feed on the wood can, in this time and as long as the settlement is active, cause costly damage to buildings.
Worker termites eat the soft inner portions of wooden supports and other wooden components, leaving the outer shell of the wood intact. Termite infestations may continue for years until you can see the damage by evidence of mud tubes, cracks, or the building’s timber collapse. Flying termite swarms are a severe sign of damage to homes.
How To Get Rid Of Termites With Wings In House
The best way to get rid of flying ants is in the first place to prevent them. Here’s how to get rid of termites with wings in the house!
Bug Zappers
Like most insects, termites love light. This light attracts and electrocutes you if it’s a zapper bug. Of course, this only works when the flying termites are outside the house, but this is a method that professionals recommend.
You can use a fly swatter to kill them yourself, but that’s much more convenient. The key is to shut off as many lights as possible in your home and remove external light. If multiple light sources exist, this reduces the chances of these pests becoming extinct. Bug zappers can be purchased online or in a Home Depot or hardware store.
Orange Oil Spray
Orange oil is such a good termite killer that professionals highly recommend it. The reason this spray functions so well is that the spray contains a compound that kills the termite. This compound provides vibrant smells for oranges and citrus fruits. The essential orange oil is mixed in a spray bottle of water.
Now you’re going to want to spray any termites you see and any areas you see. If you know that termites have already lost their wings and take up space at home, you can use orange oil to spray these highly trafficked areas. Many people are also using this oil on furniture, and they are even drilling holes in the wall where termites are active and putting orange oil into the holes.
Take Drastic Outdoor Action
Termites don’t fly for long, and they don’t have to be their colony if they have wings. But there’s only so much you can do to make sure the termites don’t have a home.
Since these pests are drawn to wood, you can do a lot of other things outside the house, to reduce the risk that they will make your own home.
Nematodes that eat termites can also be introduced outside. Nematodes will be able to eat in no time through a whole colony of termites. This will destroy the entire colony.
If you notice wings on or on the windows, that means that the termites came together and probably chose your home to build a colony. The best course of action this early is to call an expert to kill the new territory before it causes severe damage.
Cardboard Trap
You can make a low-cost, effective termite trap with a carton material you probably already have in your home. The next time you have a package delivered, save the box and use it to fight termites.
You see, cellulose loves termites. It’s a wood-based compound, but it’s also found in the carton. Setting wet cardboard sheets in infested areas will attract termites.
After the termites begin to eat the cardboard, you can decide how to kill them. Most people use an insecticide or natural bug killer to spray the card.
Others decide to torch the carton. If the carton is set on fire, the termites will be killed, but this is also a dangerous procedure we do not recommend. You can easily hurt yourself or cause a fire.
We recommend using an insecticide or a natural bug killer to spray the cardboard. Follow the instructions for commercial insecticide products.
Boric Acid
Boric acid is an effective killer of insects and can be found in most large box shops or online. It is usually non-toxic, and it kills most insects, including termites. Boric acid works by dehydration and coating the bug. Dehydration damages and destroys the insect’s nervous system.
Boric acid comes in powder shape and can be used indoors and outdoors. You can sprinkle the powder on the perimeter of your home, but you can also place it along with windows, portals, entrances, and other areas where flying termites are visible.
While generally safe, children and pets should be kept away from boric acid. And if the powder is applied outside, make sure you re-apply it every day or every few days, especially when the rainstorm is present.
How To Get Rid Of Termites With Wings In House: Prevention
Prevention is always the best removal method for flying termites. Here’s how to get rid of termites with wings in the house!
It is essential to prevent them from entering your property, and “trenching” is one of the best methods of prevention.
Trenching is the process of applying termiticide, usually at the base, in the perimeters. If termites try to cross the trench you have created, they will die and spread the remaining chemicals throughout their nesting place using non-repellent products.
Sadly, it is also quite challenging to trench it, which requires the use of shovels, the blending of chemical insecticides, and possibly pickax, depending on how your home’s foundation is installed.
Again, we recommend that you contact a professional if you decide to perform a preventive measure of trench type, at least on a consulting basis. Insects are naturally unnerving, but particularly when the concept of flight is added to their skills list.
Signs Of Having Termites
The alates usually fly and try to mate in the air during the favorable seasons, when these insects come out. They can be physically spotted at this point, or their broken wings can also be noticed. These are good ways to understand your presence.
Furthermore, when they are seen at the rear of the house, it can be a specific shot to know that they are home. Termites are an international threat, as they are almost everywhere in the world. In the US alone, property damage from termites amounts to 5 billion dollars annually, and this figure can be quite substantial!
Therefore, protecting the property from visible termite signs can be one of the best ways to protect the family and save money. Terms that reside in a property may cause thousands of dollars in damages.
Moreover, any type of termite induced damage does not fall within the limits of many homeowners’ insurance. Therefore, it is essential to search regularly for any termite damage sign in a home so that it can be kept in check.
Also, a termite protection plan can help through a pest dissuasion company as ‘determination inspection schedules’ are expected to be implemented annually. This can be an excellent way to ensure that there is no termite damage within a property. However, some signs can be quickly inspected by a person interested in controlling a termite infestation. Some of these signs are explained below.
1. Blisters in wooden flooring.
The presence of termite below the surface may be indicated by blisters or areas within a wooden flooring. This also suggests that termites stay deep within wooden surfaces and do not fly into their homes in the space of a day. It is done mainly by subterranean termites, which can significantly damage a floor, making it look like the floor was damaged by water.
2. Hollowed or damaged wood.
A great deal of wood damage can occur, and wood particles can spread under and under surfaces such as the floor, walls, etc. Termites that chew through wood and produce a long hollow cavity in the forest can cause this.
Their search for cellulose in wood is the reason for this type of operation. This type of cavity may, over time, weaken the wood and be responsible for any significant damage to the structure itself.
3. Any swarm proof.
Broken end wings can be an excellent way to establish their presence in the vicinity. At any point of access to a building, including doors, windows, etc., these wings can be expected. Winged termites usually fly to match, and once they have mated, they return to earth.
When they land, they will twist their wings deliberately. It will break because they know that they will never need them again. All termite wings are of the same size and can be an excellent way to establish a property’s presence.
Final Words
Termites can often live on or inside your property for a more extended period before you can detect them. Whether it’s dry wood termites that burst deep in wooden structures or underground termites, these discreet intruders can be harder to detect before substantial damage is caused. In order to minimize cost, it is essential to get warning signs as soon as possible.
