Two-Thirds of PMPs Seeing Termite Swarms, PCT Poll Finds

CLEVELAND – With the return of spring come termite swarms and two-thirds (67 percent) of those who responded to PCT’s recent poll said they have started seeing termite swarms in their service areas, while the other one-third (33 percent) said they have not yet started seeing termite swarms.

On PCT’s LinkedIn page John McCarthy, sales director at Braman Termite and Pest Elimination, Agawam, Mass., commented: Connecticut is seeing swarms.

John Moore, technical director of Dodson Pest Control, Lynchburg, Va., said this is about the time of year Dodson typically sees swarms, and that he’s aware of swarming in Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Last year was an exception, said Moore, who recalled “it didn't start getting really warm until May. So things were delayed a little bit. Weather is always going to impact swarming. It always comes down to how warm it gets and how much moisture gets dropped.”

One area of the country that typically experiences heavy termite swarms is the Gulf Coast. 

Jason Evans, owner of Evans Pest Solutions, Lake Charles, La., said swarms have been very light thus far, but “I expect it will pick up around the end of April, maybe middle of May. That's where we'll get our Formosan termite swarms. And, in my opinion, it's going to be a really big year for Formosan termites.”

When Lake Charles was hit by Hurricane Rita (2005), Evans said about four years later Formosan termite swarms were in abundance. If that holds true, 2024 could be a banner year for termites as this year marks four years since Lake Charles was hit by Hurricane Laura (2020). “All of the downed trees created a great habitat for termites to do what they do,” he said.

Participate in our newest poll: Do you require new customers to leave a credit card on file?