Flying Termites: What a Swarm Looks Like and What It Means

Flying termites are swarmers: winged males and females that leave an established colony, pair off, drop their wings and try to start a new one. They do not eat wood and they cannot hurt you. What they tell you is that a colony old enough to produce them is close by, and the place they came out of tells you how close.

How to identify a flying termite

Swarmers of the eastern subterranean termite are black and 10 to 13 mm (3/8 to 1/2 inch) long including the wings. Three features separate any termite swarmer from a winged ant:

• Wings. Two pairs, all the same length, about twice as long as the body.
• Antennae. Straight, sometimes drooping. Ant antennae bend at an elbow.
• Waist. Thick from end to end. Ants are pinched in the middle.

Ants also have front wings that are clearly longer than the back wings. Our termite vs flying ant page shows the two side by side.

Shed wings are as good as a live insect for identification. Termite wings come off cleanly soon after the flight and collect on windowsills, in spider webs and along baseboards. A pile of pale wings that are all one size points to termites.

When termites swarm

Timing depends on the species and the region.

Penn State Extension reports that swarms in Pennsylvania usually appear between February and June. The University of California notes that subterranean termites sometimes swarm in winter from colonies under heated basements.

Swarmers that come out indoors die within about a day because they cannot reach damp soil.

What a swarm inside the house means

The University of Kentucky puts it plainly: winged termites emerging indoors almost always mean an infestation that needs treatment. Swarmers come out through cracks in walls, gaps around door and window frames, floor joints and expansion joints in slabs, then fly to the nearest light.

Look for where they came from, because that marks a spot an inspector will want to see. Tiny holes in drywall or plaster with dried soil around the edge are another sign that termites are behind the wall.

Formosan termites are a partial exception. Mississippi State University Extension notes that their swarmers are so strongly drawn to light that a few can fly in from outside on a spring night. A handful near a lamp may be strays. Hundreds indoors point to a colony in the building.

What a swarm outside means

Buried wood is common in yards, and termite colonies feed on it. A swarm outdoors does not prove the house is infested.

Distance is the guide Mississippi State gives:

• Swarmers from a stump, log or woodpile 25 feet or more from the foundation are normal and rarely a concern for the building.
• Swarmers coming out of the ground next to the foundation, a porch or a patio call for an inspection.

What to do during and after a swarm

Save a sample. Put several swarmers or a pinch of wings in a jar or bag. An inspector can confirm the species from them.

Vacuum the rest. Swarmers cannot damage wood, and a vacuum or broom removes them. Spraying them does nothing to the colony they came from.

Note the exit point. Mark or photograph the crack, hole or window frame they came out of. Leave it unsealed until it has been inspected.

Check for other signs. Walk the foundation, crawl space and garage for mud tubes. The signs of termites guide covers damaged wood and droppings.

Book an inspection. A licensed company should look at the house before anyone decides on treatment. The University of Kentucky advises getting inspections and estimates from more than one company, and notes that there is no need to sign anything the same day, because termites damage wood slowly. See what a termite inspection covers.

Can flying termites start a colony in the house?

Rarely, for subterranean termites. A pair needs damp soil or wet wood to survive, and swarmers that emerge inside a dry, finished room die first. The risk a swarm signals is the existing colony that produced it.

Drywood termites are different. Their swarmers enter dry, sound wood directly, with no soil contact. In the regions where they live, such as southern California, drywood swarmers found indoors are worth an inspection even without other signs. The first evidence that follows is usually drywood pellets.

Flying termites after treatment

A swarm in the spring after a soil treatment or bait installation is worth a call to the company that did the work. Most termite service agreements include retreatment if termites return, as long as the annual renewal has been kept up. Keep a sample and note the date and location so the technician has something to work from.