Termite swarming season is just around the corner in Southwest Louisiana

LAKE CHARLES, LA (KPLC) - Spring is in full swing, and that means warmer weather and lots of things blooming, including swarms of termites.

“They’re coming,” said Robert Soileau with J&J Exterminating.

He said termites are currently developing into swarmers, and by May will be out in full force.

There are some things you can do to protect your home ahead of swarming season.

“Make sure you don’t have any gutters that are staying clogged all the time, make sure you don’t have any boards around the roofing area where the woods rotting, because of water," said Soileau.

He said termites mostly swarm around dusk, so when the sun is setting, close your doors and turn off your lights so they won’t be attracted to your home.

If you think they might already be in your home, there are ways to tell for sure.

“You can find, sometimes, a swarm castle is what we call them, it’s where the dirt starts coming through the wall, that’s a sure sign that there’s an immediate problem and that needs to be addressed,” Soileau said.

If you do think you have an infestation, Soileau said don’t try to handle it yourself.

Your best move is to contact a professional.

“Spraying before the pest control company gets there messes it up, because we can’t see what was going on, because it killed those termites," Soileau said.

He said the most important thing is to be proactive.

If left untreated, the damage to your home can be irreversible.

“They can do a lot of damage. I’ve seen entire sides of homes destroyed because of them," Soileau said.

There are different types of termites in Louisiana, and different types cause different levels of damage.

According to the LSU AgCenter, the two main types of termites in the state are subterranean and drywood.

The subterranean termites are divided into two subgroups: native subterranean termites and Formosan subterranean termites.

Subterranean termites can be found in wood and soil, where as drywood are found in, as the name suggests, dry wood.

Drywoods also have teeth at the ends of their mandibles, where subterranean do not.

As far as native versus Formosan, Soileau said Formosan will do more damage quicker, because they have more termites in their colonies.

But no matter the type, now is the time to prepare for them.

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