Alate Termites on the move
Recently in Mango Hill, Joel and I spotted a treated timber post at a park across the road from dense housing. It is a common misconception that if it’s treated, termites won’t go near it. However, no timber is 100% termite proof. As we can see from the video below, we opened up the workings to find that the timber post was riddled with termites! We discovered that 1000’s of termites had been using the treated timber as a food source for some time. This goes to prove that termites do in fact eat treated timber. So could termites be nesting in your house?
What is an Alate?
An alate is the reproductive form of the termite. They have one major difference; they have smoky to brown coloured wings. They tend to flutter in flight and drift in the wind as they are not strong flyers. Termites will snap off their wings when they land. This is when you will find them in your house or even in an outside light shade.
How do they breed?
Termite alates will leave the colony via flight as we can see in the above video. Alate males and females will pair up together then land in search of a suitable place to establish a colony. After mating, the pair will never go outside and in fact spend the rest of their lives in their nest. The queen will lay literally millions of eggs for the next 30-40 years.
Where do they live?
Subterranean termites take flight at many different times, depending on the species. Some flights will take place on a warm day after rainfall, while some will swarm during the nighttime. Alates usually start to emerge in the South East Queensland from November to March. At this time humidity is very high which makes for their ideal conditions. Alates will generally live in a mass where thousands will begin their flight in search of cellulous timbers to establish a new colony. When alates land they normally source moist soil in a concealed area. If they land in your property, they normally head for to the coolest room in your bathroom.
In some cases they will fully establish themselves in your home if they find a suitable moist dark area like the bathroom or sub floor.
What can you do to protect yourself?
Firstly, it is essential to be diligent and carry out regular checks around the perimeter of your home for any signs of termite activity.
If you see anything that looks unusual or you live around a dense tree population it would be a good idea to call Conquer Termites to provide a free quote, and there you can have your questions answered and find out what is really best for your property.
We provide a follow up courtesy call for all customers when it is time to get their annual termite inspection completed.
When was the last time you had an inspection? If it’s been longer than a year then it’s probably a good idea to get one done.
If so, don’t hesitate to call our office on 07 3356 8801 to arrange a time for one of our techs to visit and help with your questions.
Please see our informative video’s on the Termite Inspection and the Termite Treatment.
Tags: Alates, Flying termites, Termite infestation, Treated timber
