Termite swarms are signs of mating season on the Mississippi Coast

Those thick swarms of termites appearing nightly throughout South Mississippi won’t eat your house for dinner, authorities said.

The mass of winged varmints — called swarmers — are most likely Formosan termites, one of three species of termites found on the Coast. The non-native, invasive species first made its way to the state in the mid-1980s and is spottily distributed in the lower half of Mississippi, according to a report by Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Eastern subterranean termites can be found throughout the state and southeastern drywood termites don’t venture far from U.S. 90.

The swarms of Formosans mean the bugs’ mating season has begun, said Bobby Ware, president of Terminator Pest Control.

Typically, young swarmer termites attempt to pair up with a member of the opposite sex from early May to early June, fall to the ground together, shed their wings, mate and find a protected site in the ground to begin a new colony, he said.

Swarms around a house don’t necessarily mean the home is infected by termites, but seeing the buggy mass should serve as a reminder to have the home inspected, Ware said.

“Nothing beats a thorough inspection,” he said.

Ware said several pest control companies on the Coast offer free home evaluations.

He warns that homeowners should use only certified inspectors and make sure to see proof of damage and activity before purchasing services.

“Just because you have swarmers inside your house does not mean you have an active infestation,” he said.

Formosans swarm at dusk and are strongly attracted to lights. To keep the insects out of homes, Ware suggests keeping lights off in the house when possible and close curtains and blinds.

“Swarmers do not bite, do not sting. All their job is to reproduce and make new babies,” he said.

The swarmers create new colonies of more swarmer kings and queens, soldiers that protect the colony and workers, which do the damage to structures.

According to MSU’s Extension Service, signs of termite infestation include:

• Swarmers inside the house
• Swarmers seen emerging outside from a stump, fallen log or pile of wood
• BB-sized spot of dried mud on an inside wall or ceiling of wood paneling
• Mud tubes along the foundation wall
• Oddly shaped formations of dried mud sprouting from walls in the spring
• Visible termite damage.

This story was originally published May 2, 2012 at 12:00 AM.