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Tiny, clear wings piled up by a lamp, a TV or a window sill are one of the clearest signs of drywood termites you’ll ever get. A lot of people sweep them up and never think about it again. I already did an episode on what termite droppings look like. This one goes a little deeper, into the wings.
What termite wings look like
They’re small, smaller than your pinky nail. They’re clear, almost see-through, and they’re not quite teardrop-shaped, but close to it. A termite’s four wings are all the same length, so a pile of them looks like the same little wing over and over. They’re so light that just walking past can stir them up. A lot of people first notice them while they’re cleaning, when all of a sudden these little things are floating in the air and the light is shining off of them.
Why they end up by the lights
Drywood termite swarmers fly to light, and they’ll go to whatever light is on in the house. If the only thing on is a computer screen, that’s where they go. I’ve seen them fly at a TV, the little light on a cable box, and the clock on a stove. Once they land, they drop their wings, pair off and go looking for a crack in some bare wood to start a new colony. That’s why you’ll find a pile of wings by the light, and a lot of times no termites at all.
When you’ll see them, and what it means
Around here, drywood termites swarm mostly from April through June, from dusk into the night. I’ve seen it run into the summer some years, and every so often a few show up in the fall. A drywood colony is about five years old before it sends out any swarmers at all. So if wings keep turning up inside, there’s a good chance a colony has been working in your wood for a while, in the house or close to it. Tracking down where takes some work, because they’ll fly a good distance to get to a light.
Now, not every pile of wings is termites. Flying ants swarm too, and a lot of the calls we get about flying termites turn out to be ants. Here’s how to tell termite swarmers from flying ants, and what to do if they’re coming out of a wall.
What to do if you find them
Don’t vacuum them all up just yet. Save a few wings on a piece of clear tape or in a sandwich bag, and if you can, snap a close-up picture on your phone. Then text it to us at 727-458-7900 with your address in the first message. We’ll tell you what it is. If it looks like termites, Austin, our termite tech, comes out, looks at where they came from and tells you what it’ll take. There’s no charge to come look.
For the other signs, the droppings and the soft or hollow wood, here’s how to tell if you’ve got termites.
If you have a question about this or anything else, give us a call at 727-462-0400, or text us at 727-458-7900. As long as GOD keeps making them, we’ll keep killing them. You have a great day.