Subterranean termite swarming season

Photo of termite damage. Photo courtesy of Center for Urban and Structural Entomology, Texas A&M University.

For one subterranean termite genus, Reticultermes, the months of February through May mean swarming season in Texas. These winged reproductive swarmers emerge from the colony in order to fly and begin a new colony.

Subterranean termites are social insects that live in colonies underground, in order to avoid sunshine and outside air. Their caste system consists of workers, soldiers, and reproductives. The workers build shelter tubes from tiny pieces of soil, wood, and debris that are glued together using secretions and fecal material. These shelter tubes form an extensive tunneling system underground that allows the workers to carry resources back into the colony. The soldier termites protect the colony from other insect intruders, and the reproductives are responsible for starting a new colony.

Termites feed on cellulose material, including roots, paper, and cardboard. They are important to our ecosystem, since they decompose cellulose; however, they become economic pests when they invade structures. Termite damage may be detected by the presence of mud tubes, damaged wood, and the swarming of winged reproductive termites.  
 
Preventive practices
•  Any stumps, scrap wood, grade stakes, cardboard boxes, and newspapers found around structures should be removed. 
•  Firewood, landscape timbers, and compost piles should not be stored around foundations of structures. 
•  Moist areas should be minimized by grading the soil and installing gutters to allow water to drain away from the building. 

Chemical approaches to termite control
If termites are found around structures, measures that can be taken include applying liquid insecticides and/or installing baiting systems. When soil insecticides are applied, they provide a continuous chemical barrier around the structure. There are both repellent and non-repellant liquid insecticides that can be applied around structures. The termites attempting to tunnel into the chemically treated area will either be killed or repelled, thus preventing them from entering the structure. Termite baiting systems can also be installed above ground and/or in the ground around structures. The bait stations usually contain a piece of untreated wood until termite activity is detected. Once termite activity is observed, the untreated wood is replaced with a plastic tube containing an insecticide within a cellulose matrix. The worker termites feed on the cellulose matrix and then exchange it with other members of the colony. This results in death of the colony members. 

Honey bees and toxin-filled nectar
Scientists at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom have found that honey bees learn to avoid nectar containing plant toxins, but they will still eat the nectar when there is no other alternative available. They found that when bees are surrounded by toxic plants such as almonds or apples, they are forced to eat the toxic nectar, which may be another factor affecting colony health. Their study showed that bees that ate toxin-filled nectar and became sick learned to avoid the smell of the toxic flowers. Understanding how the bees learn to detect these toxins could ultimately help us to breed plants that do not produce them, and in turn protect the honey bees.

New pest control book
A new book titled Pest Identification Guide for Pests In and Around Buildings is a great pocket guide for identifying pests commonly found in and around structures. It contains excellent photos and information about pests such as ants, cockroaches, rats, spiders, bed bugs, and more. The cost is $12, and it can be purchased online at:
https://store.lsuagcenter.com/p-85-pest-identification-guide-for-pests-in-and-around-buildings.aspx.

About the author: Kimberly Schofield is a program specialist in the field of urban integrated pest management at the Texas A&M Research Center in Dallas.

Mention of commercial products is for educational purposes only and does not represent endorsement by Texas AgriLife Extension or The Texas A&M University System. Insecticide label registrations are subject to change, and changes may have occurred since this article was written. The pesticide user is always responsible for applying products in accordance with label directions. Always read and carefully follow the instructions on the container label.