It's termite swarming season in South Florida, what you need to know to protect your home
MIAMI - It is termite swarming season in South Florida. The time of year when it is most common to see termites flying around homes, neighborhoods, or anywhere with trees.
In spring and the beginning of summer they become more noticeable and cause alarm. These silent destroyers can burrow for years inside our homes without us having any idea and by the time we find out it may be too late and wind up costing thousands in damages.
"It's just a matter of paying attention and it's not a matter of do I have termites, it's when will I have termites," said Dr. Thomas Chouvenc at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in Davie. He is an assistant professor of urban entomology and studies termites for a living.
"You see the smoke and it tells you that there's a fire somewhere. This is what the wing termites are telling you," he said about the flying insects.
Dr. Chouvenc says here in South Florida we are dealing with mainly three species of termites.
- West Indian DryWood termite
- Formosan subterranean termite
- Asian subterranean termite
They all can cause trouble but dry wood termites can live in our walls for years, damaging wood but doing so very slowly. He said if you see a few flying around in different areas inside your home, it is time to fumigate but it's not necessarily an emergency.
Dr. Chouvenc said his main concern is the two species of subterranean termites popping up in colonies in certain areas of South Florida in very large numbers.
"The subterranean termites usually start in trees and as they get mature and turn into millions of individuals, they go into the ground and forage and eventually find the house, go inside the house, and it's a million mouths to feed," he said.
"By the time you realize you have them. It is often a bit too late. It's thousands in damage and repair and also in control," he added.
Dr. Chouvenc worries the impact these insects can have not only cost homeowners but also have serious implications if we don't take care of them.
"We are in the process in South Florida of losing parts of our urban tree canopy irreversibly. This is a problem. It's kind of a train wreck and very very slow motion. We've seen this with hurricanes. As these trees are chewed up from the inside, the structure is formidably compromised. They may not be able to survive a storm anymore," said Dr. Chouvenc.
Dr. Chouvenc says there are a couple of things we can do to help the situation.
- Know if the area you live in is populated by the subterranean termites
- Have pest control check your home and yard at least once a year
- Treat the termites in the yard before they get into the house
He said awareness about the problem now can help with major problems down the line.
Dr. Chouvenc's office at UF will identify the type of termite free of charge. They do it right now for pest control companies around South Florida.
To check your neighborhood for reported termite populations Click Here.