What causes flying termites in the Philippines?
- Heavy Rainfall and Warmer Temperatures
- Wood and Mulch
- Dark and Damp Spaces
- Openings in Your Home
- Your Home’s Location
A pest invasion can easily create nuisances at home, and if left untreated can quickly destroy your property’s value. Termites are one of those pests and they are common in the Philippines. Termites have the potential to invade your living spaces at a moment’s notice and swarm around your home as flying termites. However, knowing the causes for their invasion could help prevent thousands of pesos’ worth in damages. Read on to learn more about the common causes of flying termites in the Philippines.
Heavy Rainfall and Warmer Temperatures
Termites love tropical weather. This is because they love moisture — they need it to survive, and will take great lengths to sniff out new water sources for the colony. They require a damp, moist environment to protect their exoskeletons and prevent their bodies from drying out.
Termites take measures to prevent this from happening. Since they cannot survive too long without moisture, they create mud tunnels from their ground nest towards any food sources they find nearby. These tunnels create a warm, damp pathway for their commute to and from the nest while they are in search of food.
The country’s moist and warm climate is ideal for termites. The weather stays humid and warm nearly all year round and provides the optimum levels not only for their living conditions but also their mating conditions. During warmer months you may have seen swarms of winged termites gathering near your home. The environment is perfect for termites to live long enough to enter their mating cycle, which is when they become flying termites or ‘gamu-gamo’
Wood and Mulch
In order for the termites to live long enough to mate, they need to have a steady source of food. Wood and mulch are the two biggest sources that can be found in your home in the Philippines. Many houses have trees and foliage that provide enough material for termites to eat through. Additionally, these plants can also block sunlight, which causes the dirt beneath them to remain damp after rains for a longer period of time.
Many homeowners also use mulch in their gardens, which is used to protect their plants from heat and weeds. However, mulch can also absorb and retain large amounts of water. This creates an ideal environment and food source for termites.
Dark and Damp Spaces
On top of needing food sources, termites also need the right living spaces to continue their cycle. They tend to be attracted to dark, damp spaces. These can be found near or even inside your home. These spaces can be created by clogged gutters, leaky pipes, or any other area near your home that holds standing water. Termites love to settle near these places because of the temperature and moisture, as well as the proximity to an abundant food source.
These spaces collect moisture, which creates additional problems like mold and rot on wood surfaces. Termites love water-damaged wood and are drawn to it. If you’re unlucky, they might even make their termite mound near these areas. The damage that they could do to your house if their mound remains undetected is extensive and hard to measure, as most of their damage would be within the structure of your home.
Openings in Your Home
Termites will also make their homes within yours if they are able to squeeze inside. Termites can infiltrate through the smallest cracks in your walls. Your doors, windows, and other points of entry could have tiny openings for them to slip in.
Roofs also offer many opportunities for them to enter. This could be done if your garden has low-hanging branches or plants that touch the exterior walls of your home. These branches and leaves will act as a bridge for termites to access your property.
From these openings, termites can make short work of expanding their territory. The bigger they can make their territory, the larger their termite mound becomes. If left unchecked, their population will also rise. Come warmer months, this large population will enter the next stage of their cycle and will reappear as flying termites.
Your Home’s Location
In the Philippines, termite damage is more common compared to fire and flood damage. This is an indicator of how serious the termite problem is in this area, and why flying termite swarms are so common. In fact, there are 2,500 different termite species around the world and about 54 species have made the Philippines their home. The tropical environment of the Philippinesa hr encourages and ensures the growth of the local termite population.
Worse still, if you live in urban areas, it is more likely for you to experience flying termites than when you live in rural areas. Studies have found that the effect of urbanization in Metro Manila has impacted the average temperatures and rainfall of the area. On average, Metro Manila experiences warmer temperatures than surrounding areas, having up to 2.4 °C higher temperatures. Metro Manila also experiences higher average values of rainfall during the summer and rainy seasons.
This effect of urbanization makes Metro Manila one of the best places for termites to continue their mating cycles and is one of the top causes of flying termites in the Philippines. Homes in Metro Manila are consequently more susceptible to termite infestations because of the large population of termites in this area.
Key Takeaway
There are many causes of flying termites in the Philippines. In this country, there are many ways for termites to continue living in homes comfortably. With the right conditions, they can easily increase their numbers and swarm your homes as flying termites during the warmer months. The sight of these flying termites can be an indicator of a termite infestation near or within your home. It is best to contact experts in pest control, such as Topbest, if you are concerned that you may have a termite problem. Call us now!
