Termite Frequently Asked Questions

Swarming typically happens in the spring and summer months, while other termite activities like tunneling and foraging continue year-round.

Workers are responsible for foraging and maintaining the nest, while soldiers defend the colony against predators.

While primarily wood-focused, termites can also damage other materials like drywall and certain plastics if they obstruct their tunneling paths.

While termites are not directly harmful to human health, they can cause structural damage, potentially leading to unsafe living conditions.

Termites establish colonies by creating extensive tunnel systems in the soil or wooden structures. They expand their colonies through swarming and by building secondary nests.

There are various methods for controlling termite infestations. Chemical treatments using termiticides are common and can be applied in liquid or foam form. Baiting systems are another option, which lure termites into consuming poison that they take back to the colony. It is essential to consult a licensed pest control expert for an accurate assessment and appropriate treatment plan. 

While termites and ants may look similar, they are different in several ways. Termites have straight antennae, a thicker waist, and both pairs of their wings are of equal length. Ants, on the other hand, have elbowed antennae, a more defined waist, and their front wings are longer than their back wings. 

They are generally not harmful to humans and do not transmit diseases. However, they can cause severe damage to wooden structures, which may pose safety risks if not addressed in a timely manner. 

Signs of an infestation may include the presence of winged termites or "swarmers," mud tubes on walls, and hollow-sounding wood. Additionally, you may notice small piles of fecal pellets or sawdust. Prompt inspection by a professional is recommended if you suspect an infestation. 

Termites are small, social insects that primarily feed on wood. They are known for their ability to cause significant structural damage to buildings, furniture, and other wooden structures. They live in colonies that can range from a few thousand to millions of individuals.

Termites live in highly structured colonies with a hierarchy consisting of workers, soldiers, and reproductive members. The lifespan of termites can vary depending on the specific species and their role within the colony.

Worker termites, responsible for feeding the colony and maintaining the nest, typically live for about 1 to 2 years. Soldier termites, responsible for defending the colony, have a similar lifespan as workers. 

Reproductive kings and queens have the longest lifespan among colony members. The king's lifespan is usually shorter but still significantly longer than that of workers or soldiers. A termite queen can live up to 25 years or more, continuously laying eggs to sustain and grow the colony.

If termites begin to feed on your home's wood structures, it may take up to three years to establish a permanent colony and up to as long as seven or eight years to create damage that a layperson might quickly notice. However, they begin to inflict damage as soon as they start feeding on your home, and a professional inspector can detect the early stages of infestation. Left unchecked, they can cause substantial damage to wood structures and, in some cases, cause damage that is virtually impossible to remediate. Even if they are detected before they cause severe structural damage, the cost to eliminate infestations and damage to your home's market value may have already been inflicted. 

While there is no certainty that an unprotected home is sure to get termites eventually, homes in the Carolinas are at risk of infestation without protection. The pests are found throughout North and South Carolina. They are constantly hunting for wood material to feed on near soil that can host a new colony. They tunnel through soil and fly as swarmers to locate cellulose food sources and begin to feed and breed aggressively when they find suitable food and shelter. The best insurance against termite infestation is professional treatment and regular monitoring for evidence of activity near your home.

Because they relentlessly search for new food sources, preventing infestation involves professional treatments that create a barrier between existing colonies and your home or business. Wood and soil treatments are the primary defense against termite infestation. Working alongside baiting and monitoring systems, these treatments provide ongoing feedback to our expert technicians to ensure continuing protection. We also help property owners eliminate excess moisture and standing water in the soil surrounding and underlying buildings since soft wet soil and wood provide ideal termite habitat. We also select and install encapsulation and sealing materials that shield your structures from exposure to the moist soil that termites prefer to inhabit.

Swarmers are termites that are seen flying around during their breeding season. That time usually runs from late winter through mid-spring. Colonies send swarmers to scout the local area for food sources and potential new colony sites. Swarmers do not fly very far, and when they locate cellulose and soft, moist soil, they stop flying and lose their wings. Because of the limited flight range, if swarmers are seen inside or very near a building, it is strong evidence of a termite infestation attacking the wooden structures of that building. Unfortunately, killing swarmers does little to address the ongoing infestation by the remaining termites inside an underground colony.

North Carolina is home to three main native species of subterranean termites. There are also three more or less distinct types of termites with different visual characteristics. Winged termites are the “swarmers” seen from late winter into the early fall. They are the ones homeowners are most likely to see. They usually fly around tree stumps, landscape timbers, and similar wooden structures. If you see swarmers indoors, it strongly indicates that a termite infestation is possible. Workers do not have wings and an almost translucent whitish color. Soldier termites are wingless and brown with small pincers near their antennae.

A termite infestation next door does not guarantee that your home will suffer an infestation. Still, it is a warning sign that your property is at risk. The presence of termites nearby indicates that local soil conditions are suitable for termite colonies to develop and thrive. In that termites continuously search for new food sources, a colony near your home could easily scout out wood to eat inside your house. Several termite colonies can occupy a single acre of land, and they often forage several hundred feet in search of wood to feed upon. In warmer weather, winged termites swarm short distances looking for food and suitable terrain to build out new colonies.

Termite colonies have a regular life cycle based largely on seasonal weather and food availability. They do not die during the winter but respond to colder weather in predictable ways. They try to maintain a body temperature of at least 70 degrees and go deeper underground most of the time, where temperatures are warmer than at the surface.

However, if termites can find a warm place near food over the winter, they remain active in eating and breeding throughout the year. Unfortunately, residential, and commercial structures with controlled climates can be ideal for termites throughout the four seasons we enjoy in North Carolina.

Termites are constantly searching for new food sources and suitable locations to form colonies.  They look for wood and cellulose to feed on by tunneling through moist soil and swarming from late winter through early spring. Swarmers are a small part of established termite colonies that leave the larger group to fly around looking for a mate and new food sources. When a matched pair find an adequate food supply, their colonization process moves quickly. The new queen begins laying eggs near the food source as soon as possible. While it can take up to five years for a new colony to fully develop, the termites eat aggressively while continuing to form a permanent home. 

Termites are cold-blooded insects that rely upon their environment for body heat. While they prefer an average temperature of approximately 75º F, they can tolerate and survive in much lower or higher temperatures. However, once temperatures exceed 100º F or dip below 25º F, they begin to die off. But, despite that, wintertime is not usually the death knell for these highly destructive pests. It is common for them to seek shelter in more temperature-friendly environments during the winter, which often means invading human structures. Unfortunately, your home provides an ideal temperature for termites and a great source of food, making it a very likely temptation. Thus, termites are a pervasive problem for homeowners year-round.

The subterranean termites that are native to North Carolina are present throughout the year but do not leave their mud tubes or deeper tunnels in soil or wood outside of their swarming season. Termites here start swarming in the late summer and may continue into the early fall in October. They usually swarm on warm days after we have had rain. Termites swarm in search of a mate, and once one is found, they look for suitable food sources and good places to begin new colonies. Swarming termites are usually seen around tree stumps, landscaping timbers, and decaying wood. You may see swarming termites even in colder months indoors, and anytime you see them inside a building it is a strong sign of internal infestation. Visible swarmers are only a small part of the larger colony that remains active underground throughout the year.

Subterranean termites maintain their colonies underground, and they are constantly in search of new sources of the wood cellulose they prefer for food. They normally enter your home at or below ground level to get wood material, but they can travel through mud tubes to reach ground-level entry points. Wood that contacts the soil surface is at the greatest risk of termite infestation, but they can also enter through cracks in foundations or mortar. Excess moisture or pooling water underneath or around your home also creates a high-risk pathway for termites to enter, as they are much more active in moist soil.  Firewood, boxes, or paper materials should not be stacked next to your house, as termites can use the material as a pathway into your building.

The most common destructive termites found in the Charlotte area and throughout the Carolinas are subterranean. They live primarily underground in their colonies and tunnel their way into homes and other buildings, looking for wooden material to feed on. Termites are six-legged insects with ant-like bodies and are brown or black, and the ones that stay below ground or inside wood are small, only about 1/8 inch long. Unlike ants, termites are soft-bodied and appear a bit more rounded. The termites that are sometimes seen above ground are winged and called "swarmers." Appearing during warm and wet weather, these have even and long pale brownish wings and are a little larger, up to about 3/8 inch long.

If an inspection determines that your home has a termite infestation, professional extermination will be necessary to get rid of them. Depending on your circumstances, various professional-grade insecticides and bait traps can be applied to eliminate termites inside and around your home. It is critically important that these be used in an environmentally friendly manner to protect your family and pets. Termite tunnels can run many feet away from your home, and extermination of existing termites includes killing them in the tunnels they use to and from external colonies. In addition to professional extermination, prevention of future infestation by using exclusionary methods can keep termites from invading in the first place. Insect-proof barriers, effective landscaping, and proper maintenance of crawlspaces help keep termites away from wooden materials.

During their breeding season, termite colonies produce adults with wings, called swarmers. 

The swarmers fly away to scout out places to breed and begin new colonies. They do not fly very far, and they lose their wings once they become part of a mating pair. If you see swarmers flying around, they almost certainly are from a nearby colony. Swarmers seen inside a building are very strong evidence of an infestation. They usually fly in the daytime but will also swarm to outside lights in the summer months. It is important to remember that swarmers are only part of a termite colony and killing the swarmers alone does not address the colony's infestation. 

While termites have powerful jaws for insects their size and can bite humans and other animals, they generally will not bite unless they are directly handled. If worker termites detect a threat to their colony and are in contact with a human, their bite can cause redness and typically minor irritation. Bites from mites, fleas, or bed bugs are often mistakenly attributed to termites. The greater risk of injury these pests present is by weakening the structural integrity of homes, decks, and wooden materials that can either collapse or become more prone to dampness and mold growth.

There are a few common signs of termites to look for around your home and property. Mud tubes and dirt mounding can indicate areas of tunneling from existing colonies towards your home. Look for these on soft and damp topsoil near or under your foundation or crawlspaces. Dirt and soil around baseboards, windowsills, and interior walls also indicate possible tunneling and feeding. If wood in your home looks darkened or warped or has become softened, that can also indicate previous or current feeding. During the breeding season, you might find swarmers’ wings on the ground or other surfaces near lighting or damp areas. If you see these indications, you should have your home professionally inspected immediately. 

Under suitable conditions, termites can reinfest a building even after professional treatment. Unfortunately, no treatment guarantees a permanent eradication since they live and move through the soil and constantly search for new food sources and places to build colonies. Even though treatments can provide a year or more of protection, termites can reenter previously infested spaces without regular attention. In addition, previously damaged structures are typically more vulnerable to reinfestation since other termite colonies are known to be nearby, and soil conditions favor tunneling. The best protection against termite reinfestation is ongoing and regular professional treatments and inspections.

Termites prefer soft, moist wood but can also infest dry or treated wood. Certain types, like subterranean termites, are more drawn to wood in contact with soil.

Termites communicate through pheromones and vibrations to coordinate activities like foraging, defense, and colony maintenance.

 Yes, regular home maintenance such as reducing moisture, sealing cracks, and eliminating wood-to-soil contact can significantly reduce the risk of termite infestation.

No, termites can infest homes of any age. Even newly built homes are at risk if conditions are favorable for termites.

If you suspect termites, it's important to contact a pest control professional for an inspection. Early detection can prevent extensive damage.