BEAUMONT, Texas — We are officially in termite swarming season, where winged termites leave their original colony in search of a new place to call home.
It explains why you are seeing these pests swarming your lights and porches. It's the season for the swarming of winged termites invading the houses of Southeast Texas.
Here are ways you can stay ahead of these bad bugs.
“The time of year when they develop wing swarmers and the wing swarmers fly away from the colony trying to start new colonies,” said Bart Foster, a technical safety director. “While termites are always here and active this is the time they are most visible is when the winged termites fly away and try to start their own.”
The winged termites are attracted to fluorescent lights and the experts at Bill Clark Pest Control have a list of dos and don'ts when it comes to keeping your home protected.
Don’t keep any piles of wood near the home, and try to have no cracks in your concrete slabs.
“If you have visible slab around the whole house you would be looking for those mud tunnels, anything out of character a little mud spot on the wall, or an indention on the paint, something out of character might be an indication of something going on,” Foster said.
But there are ways to stay on top of it. Preventative treatment for one. Paying a little upfront now may save you some big bucks in the long run
“We have seen situations with $50,000 to $90,000 worth of damage and homeowners insurance won’t cover that since it is considered preventable and it goes back to being proactive and getting those treatments,” Foster said.
Nationwide, termites cause over a billion dollars in damage each year. That's more than tornadoes, hurricanes, and windstorms combined, according to the Texas Department of Agriculture.