We all live our lives day to day thinking that nothing bad will happen. We never think that we will be the ones dealing with the cleanup of a house fire. Unfortunately, there are many, many families that suffer the impact of house fires each year. Last year, a close friend of mine was a victim of a house fire and since then, my life has been different. I have spent many hours researching fire prevention, causes, and teaching children about fire prevention and what to do in the case of a fire. It is my hope that my research can help those of you concerned about house fires make the necessary changes in your home and teach your kids what they need to know about fire.
Finding a termite in or around your home is scary enough, but finding hundreds or more swarming around may be even more frightening. Termites swarm when they're ready to breed and start a new colony. They are attracted to bright light and water sources, so you will likely see them around your lamps or in your sinks and tubs. However, don't panic. There are things you can do during swarming season, which is usually in the first warm days of spring, though the time can vary from location to location.
First, identify whether or not they're termites:
Flying ants and termites look very similar. Swarming termites tend to have paler bodies than ants, and their thoraxes are so small as they almost look like they only have two segments. Ants will have a well defined thorax, so they look like they have three segments, and their antennae are often longer and more bent than termites. Each type of insect has two pairs of wings, but the termite's wings are all the same length, while the ant has a longer pair and a shorter pair.
Find out where they're coming from:
If you're getting a large swarm, chances are there is a colony in or near your home. Sometimes, termites fly straight out from your walls, chewing their way through the drywall or using established mud tunnels that are sometimes visible along your walls. This may make it hard to locate the colony, as mud tunnels can go in different directions. Many species of flying termites have underground colonies, so you will probably have to check outside and around your home for evidence of damaged wood and termites coming up from under your house.
Call an exterminator:
Don't be tricked into complacency that the problem has gone away if you stop seeing termites. Soon after the termites mate, they drop down and look for a new place to set up their home. Sometimes, it could be a long time before the new colony is large enough for you to notice. Other than obviously damaged wood, you can look for signs such as sawdust in unusual places and changes in wood density with which wood that was once solid now feels hollow. Whether or not you see these signs, have a termite specialist check out your home just to be cautious.
If you've found that termites have, indeed, taken over your home, or you aren't sure the bugs are only ants, then you will have to work with the exterminator to both destroy the colony and make it hard for them to establish a new one. Treatments depend on the species and the severity of the infestation, but strategies range from sprays and foams to baits and tenting. Call a company such as Ace Walco & Sons Termite & Pest Control for help.
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