Flying Termites

In the late spring and early summer termite colonies produce flying termites which come out of the nests in large numbers to try and establish new termite colonies. And spread in the same way. As termites are social insects they have different castes (types) which perform different functions. There are worker termites which do all of the damage to timber – these are the termites which consume timber. But there are also soldier termites which protect the colony from attack by black ants, the King and Queen who are responsible for reproduction and egg laying and also the flying termites which are known as alates.

The alates have find transparent wings and although they are not good flyers, they do sometimes carry relatively short distances in breezes in the late afternoon or early evening when they all come out of the nest at the same time. Most die because they do not find a suitable place to establish a nest and are limited in the amount of time that they can spend in open-air. Others are killed by birds and insects. Nevertheless small numbers of them are able to pair-off, shed their wings and then, if possible, going to a suitable nesting site such as an old stump and a new colony begins. It generally takes about five years for a termite colony to reach a size which is big enough for it to attack a house.

When this mating flight of the alates occurs people often notice them land in their swimming pools and can even enter houses generally through open doors or even through roof tiles. On the Gold Coast two of the most destructive species produce alates which are an orange/red colour. Alate termites cannot damage property themselves, however if a nest is established close by they certainly represent a future hazard.

If you have seen these flying termites near your own home it does not necessarily mean that you have a nest on your property however, as there is a possibility that there could be we recommend that you contact All Care Pest Control and arrange for a termite inspection of your house. It is always best to keep samples of the flying termites that you have noticed to show to the inspector.