Although summer brings with it an influx of many other pests, including spiders, ants, mosquitoes, scorpions and more, traditional wisdom tells us that June is the end of termite season. While this would seem like a good thing for home and business owners who don’t want these tiny, pesky insects chomping on their property, it can actually be a little misleading. When people say that the start of summer is the end of termite season, what they should actually say is that it is the end of termite swarm season.
Termite swarm season generally runs from the beginning of March to the beginning of June but can vary slightly depending on the part of the country, the temperature and the weather. This is the time when the swarmer termites leave their colony and fly off to start new colonies. You might see an actual swarm; more likely you’ll see the aftermath of a swarm, with discarded termite wings in windowsills and sinks and termite droppings around doorways and corners of rooms. After they swarm, these termites start new colonies near their old colonies. Their wings can’t carry them very far, so they typically depend on the wind to carry them to a new spot.
However, once termites swarm, they don’t settle into hibernation mode. They continue feeding. That’s right. They carry right on feasting on the structure of your home or business, its floors, walls and ceilings, cabinets, furniture and anything else made of wood that they can sink their teeth into. Termites feed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. They feed during swarm season and after it ends. They feed when it’s 100 degrees outside and when it’s below freezing. The truth is, while swam season ends, termite season never really ends. Especially here in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma has weather and soil conditions that promote active termite colonies all year long. That means property owners needed to be vigilant in defending their homes and businesses all year, even after “termite season” ends. Some people—and even some in the pest control industry—think that liquid barrier termite treatments are the best way to guard against termite damage for any type of structure all year round. Unfortunately, liquid barrier treatments aren’t nearly as effective as termite bait systems, they can be incredibly expensive and can even be damaging to your lawn and garden.
Liquid barrier treatments do kill some termites. However, they do not eliminate entire termite colonies, which means they have to be reapplied to keep your home protected. The liquid barrier only kills the termites it comes in contact with; the other termites then send out a distress signal to the rest of the colony to hide until the danger wears off. Then you have to go through the process of drilling and trenching and pumping poison into the soil again to kill a few more termites. That is a lot of money to pay for something that won’t permanently solve your problem. Not to mention it’s loud, disruptive and the treatment can kill your yard, your garden and beneficial insects, like ladybugs or praying mantises which eat pests that ruin your plants.
The best way to protect your home or business against termite damage is with The Sentricon® Termite Colony Elimination System. Unlike liquid barrier treatments, The Sentricon® System eliminates the entire colony, not just a few stray termites. And since it requires no drilling, trenching or harmful chemicals, you never have to worry about it ruining your home’s aesthetic or having adverse consequences you didn’t intend. Also unlike liquid barrier treatments, The Sentricon® System is always active and never needs to be turned on or reinstalled. It defends your home or business against termites constantly, so you never have to worry about them again.
If you have any other questions about termites, termite prevention or protecting your property with The Sentricon® System, call your Oklahoma Certified Sentricon® Specialists at Arrow Exterminators. We offer pest control services to communities across Oklahoma including Bartlesville, Broken Arrow, Edmond, Grove, Kingfisher, Moore, Muskogee, Mustang, Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Tulsa, Vinita, Wagoner and Yukon. You can schedule a free, no-obligation evaluation on our website or give us a call. You can also reach out to us on social media for information about termites and The Sentricon® System. We are on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.
