Flying termites are just common termites that are in their winged life stage. This phase is part of their reproduction cycle. While they are breeding adults at this stage and dont cause significant damage themselves, they create thousands of termite wood-chewing offspring. Flying termites seek new locations for their colonies. It you find flying termites around your home or indoors, it may be an indication that there is termite infestation in a part of your home. There are ways you can identify, kill and prevent flying termites in and around your home.
Identifying Flying Termites
When it comes to identifying flying termites, you need to be able to distinguish a flying termite from a flying ant, as the two are often mistaken for one another. Both of these insects look similar but flying ants have three-segment bodies, while termites have two-segment bodies. Flying termites have two long same-sized sets of wings, and ants have a small and big set of wings.
Finding Flying Termites
If you find flying termites indoors, then it could be a sign of infestation, as they could have built nearby colonies. Look for mud tubes or tracks where the termites burrow into the ground. These are usually found in dark, moist areas that have access to wood, and you can look in places like the basement, cracks in the foundation or the underneath siding. Flying termites can occasionally be seen entering and leaving these mud tubes. Sometimes you will find wings instead of the insects body. This is because flying termites drop their wings after mating, and the females then go to burrow in mud to lay eggs. You can look for shed wings on window sills and along baseboards.