Seeing Termites swarm around your lights? Gulf Coast experts say it’s swarming season

GULFPORT, Miss. (WXXV)- If you noticed termites swarming around your lights, you’re not alone.

Across the Gulf Coast, experts say we’re in the peak of swarming season. For some homes, it could signal a much bigger problem.

When the sun goes down and lights flip on, that’s when termites start swarming. Tripp Brewer with Redd Pest Solutions says calls have been pouring in. “We’ve had customers bringing in little bags and vials and stuff of swarmers.”

Even though there’s a lot of them, Brewer says swarmers aren’t usually a big concern because most won’t live long enough to reproduce. “That’s why they swarm in such large numbers because most of them do just end up dying.”

Experts say the ones you should be worried about are the ones that swarmed a couple years ago. “It usually takes about three to five years for a colony to mature to the point where they can start damaging your home. These that are swarming right now. These aren’t the ones that ate wood. The babies, which eventually become worker termites, those are the ones that are going to be eating and damaging your home.”

If you’re dealing with a termite problem, you’ll likely notice some signs. “if you’re seeing hundreds of swarmers and wings in your home that’s something to worry about it and that’s not just like 50 to 60 of them. I’m saying like hundreds of them. Typically, if you’re seeing that many winged swarmers, you might have an infestation in your home.”