Bugs a Swarming!
Did you get some of that great rain yesterday? I sure hope so. And if you did, you probably noticed TONS of insects swarming, flying and floating through the air.
Some social insects will initiate nuptial flights when we are in high humidity - generally right before or after a rain. When we have little rain for months and then a good rain event, these insects have to take advantage of a good situation. Yesterday was that good situation.
You may be noticing ant alates in your house. You may also notice fire ant alates crawling around the surface of your pool, the sidewalk, or other surfaces. Termites were also swarming yesterday. The main difference between termites and ants are antennae, waist, and wings. But to keep it simple, look at the waist - it's much easier. Ants have a pinched waist, whereas termites have a thicker waist. Ants also tend to fold in half when they die, but termites stay unfolded.
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| Texas A&M AgriLife |
I did notice a lot of termites swarming, but the only species I saw were desert or agricultural termites. These are super common to swarm in the late summer or fall when we get good rain. These termites are the ones you want, if you get termites. They are found in the soil, like others, but feed on grasses and other plant material. Usually this is below ground, but you might see them above ground in areas that are dry or drought stressed. They form mud tubes along blades of grass and weeds which are the most conspicuous thing about them. Desert termites don't feed on wood in homes or other structures. They look different from other termite alates by their body size and long wings. Wings so long they tend to curl at the end. Wings double the length of their bodies.
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