Are You Ready For Termite Season in Hammond?

There are many pests out there that are mostly just a nuisance. They are unpleasant to deal with, but they don’t harm you or cause property damage. Termites, however, are pests that can cost home and business owners thousands of dollars in repairs.

No one wants to deal with a termite infestation. These little wood destroyers are particularly troublesome because it is hard to tell if you have them in your structure until they’ve already set to work destroying your home or business. Termites can be a problem any time of year, but termite season is when you’re most likely to identify them.

What Is Termite Season?

During spring, termite season in Hammond begins. This refers to the time when mature termite colonies began to branch out and look for new nests where they could reproduce. The colonies send out termite swarmers, the winged insects that occupy one level of the termite caste system. The swarmers are the termites that reproduce, and during termite season, they are busy establishing new colonies, making more termites, and eating more wood.

What Do Termite Swarmers Look Like?

If you see termite swarmers inside your Hammond home, there’s a good chance that you have termites eating away at your structure, just out of sight. At other times of the year, noticing termites by sight is rare, but termite season is the time when you’re most likely to catch the problem by a visual cue. By knowing what these swarmers look like, you can identify an infestation before the damage beings.

You can identify them by:

• They have oval-shaped bodies.
• They look like flying ants.
• Their bodies aren’t pinched at the waist like flying ants.
• Their wings are translucent and longer than their bodies.
• Their bodies are usually brown to black in color.

If you’re wondering whether you’re seeing signs of termites or swarming ants, save the shed wings and reach out to your local pest professional for help.

What You Should Do If You See Termite Swarmers Outside

If you’ve noticed termite swarmers outside of your property, there is good news. It might not be too late to prevent them from getting inside the wood of your structure. If you see termites outside, or even if you don’t, here are some prevention tips you can follow:

• Remove tree stumps and other wood debris and garbage from your yard.
• Keep firewood dry and at least 30 feet away from the exterior of the building.
• Make sure your home’s foundation has some sort of barrier between it and the soil.
• Fill in tiny cracks in windows, walls, or the foundation.

Even if you implement preventative measures to keep termites outside, you still may be worried about a termite problem.

Getting Rid of Termites When You Find Them Inside

If you find termite swarmers outdoors, there is usually still time to prevent them from nesting indoors. However, if you notice termite swarmers inside, whether by seeing them flying around or even by seeing their discarded wings, it’s likely you already have an infestation. If this is the case, it is imperative that you eliminate these insects as quickly as possible, as they can do major damage to a home or business building. The best way to protect your property is to contact pest control professionals who can get rid of termites quickly and effectively and set up termite control so your equity will be protected in the future.

At DAT Exterminating, we offer termite prevention services along with control methods. As a locally owned and operated pest control company in Hammond, we provide reliable services that can keep termites from ruining the structures of your home or business. Reach out to us today if you have questions or would like to schedule an inspection or termite services. We are standing by to help.