How to Get Rid of Flying Termites

How do you get rid of flying termites?

• Scrape away termite nests
• Cover windows with thick curtains
• Use a bug zapper
• Use a damp piece of cardboard

One of the peskiest kinds of pests you can find in your home is flying termites. Many households that want to get rid of flying termites have a hard time since they usually swarm a particular area of the house without any warning.

You and your family might just be having your typical dinner in the evenings when you suddenly spot swarms of these pests growing bigger and bigger. If you don’t know how to get rid of flying termites or gamu-gamo in Filipino, then dealing with these random swarms can be a laborious task. Using ineffective methods can actually be more counterintuitive, and will worsen your house’s flying termite problem. Luckily for you, the simple guide below offers some effective tips on how to properly deal with these pests.

Scrape away termite nests

The best way to deal with a problem is to directly attack its source. Just like with flying termites, one of the most effective ways of preventing them from further swarming parts of your house is to scrape off any termite mounds you might find in and around the area. Make sure to examine even the least-visible nooks and crannies of your home.

Because flying termites reproduce quickly, you should take immediate action to prevent these pests from further multiplying. Use a glass scraper to thoroughly scrape away termite nests.

If you’re having trouble identifying the nests, look out for small batches of flying termites that are dispersed around the location of the mounds. The termites typically appear brown in color and have two pairs of wings of the same length. Once you’ve spotted them, you can easily trace where the mound is located.

Cover windows with thick curtains

The easiest way to spot a swarm of flying termites is by inspecting the areas of your house where there are light sources. A typical flying termite infestation at a Filipino household involves a massive swarm of these pests surrounding a light bulb. One instinct would be to immediately turn off the lights. But this could prove to be difficult for the family residing inside the home because the lack of light would impede them from performing their daily tasks.

Another preventive course of action you can take to prevent the arrival of these swarms is to cover your house’s windows with thick curtains. Since the pests are attracted to light, the lack of visibility offered by the thick window curtains will lead the swarm away from your home.

If your house has screen windows instead of solid glass, for example, there would be a higher chance of these flying termites seeping through the holes. It would be to your benefit to use thick and sturdy curtains to prevent this from happening.

Use a bug zapper

Because swarms of flying termites can be unpredictable, sometimes preventive action might already be too late. In such cases, the only way to truly get rid of them is to exterminate them with a bug zapper.

There are typically two common kinds of bug zappers in the market. One is a handheld bug zapper, while the other is a stationary device with built-in ultraviolet light for maximum effect. You can either opt to use either of the two, but the handheld zapper can prove to be too time-consuming, especially if a large swarm of these flying termites has already infiltrated your home.

To make the most out of the stationary zapper, place it inside a dark room. The UV lights will eventually attract the pests, instantly killing them once they come into contact with the bulbs.

Use a damp piece of cardboard

Sometimes, one of the most effective ways of dealing with large swarms of pests is through simple, everyday household objects. As with all kinds of termites, flying termites love cellulose. This compound is also found in cardboard. Since these pests are also attracted to humidity, an effective way of extinguishing them is to dampen several sheets of cardboard and place them in the infested areas. You should also lace the cardboard with pesticides to make them even more effective.

The damp material would easily be able to attract the flying termites, killing them as they begin to chew on it.

Key Takeaway

Not knowing how to get rid of flying termites from your house can be irritating, especially if you constantly experience large swarms of these pests invading your home. You can employ several preventative methods to stop the spread of these pests, but sometimes the only way to deal with them is by confronting them head-on. The guide above has hopefully equipped you with some basic tips on how to effectively deal with flying termites once they attack parts of your house.