Image:
Ca va
Fo
Mississippi
homeow e s,
a
sudde
cloud
of
wi ged
i sects
ca
be
mo e
tha
a
seaso al
a oya ce.
It
ca
be
the
fi st
visible
sig
of
a
te mite
colo y
that
has
bee
developi g
quietly
fo
yea s.
Mississippi
State
U ive sity
Exte sio
Se vice
says
easte
subte a ea
te mites
o mally
swa m
du i g
sp i g,
but
alo g
the
Gulf
Coast
thei
activity
ca
begi
as
ea ly
as
late
Ja ua y
o
Feb ua y
a d
co ti ue
i to
May
o
eve
ea ly
Ju e
i
o the
Mississippi.
I
2026,
the
u ive sity
also
epo ted
heavy
te mite
swa ms
i
southe
Mississippi,
pa ticula ly
i volvi g
i vasive
Fo mosa
subte a ea
te mites.
The
timi g
itself
was
ot
co side ed
u usually
ea ly;
athe ,
the
size
of
some
swa ms
d ew
atte tio .
Mea while,
MSU
Exte sio
estimates
that
t eati g
a
ave age-sized
Mississippi
home
fo
te mites
ca
cost
a ou d
$1,200
to
$1,750,
depe di g
o
its
co st uctio ,
size
a d
t eatme t
method.
The
u ive sity’s
guida ce
makes
o e
poi t
clea :
spotti g
te mites
is
a
easo
to
i vestigate,
ot
simply
wait
fo
the
i sects
to
disappea .
Meet
Mississippi’s
subte a ea
te mites,
which
ca
swa m
f om
wi te
i to
ea ly
summe
The
te mites
most
commo ly
discussed
i
Mississippi’s
sp i g
swa m
wa i gs
a e
easte
subte a ea
te mites.
U like
d ywood
te mites,
these
i sects
live
p ima ily
i
soil
a d
fo age
fo
cellulose- ich
mate ial
such
as
wood.
Whe
a
matu e
colo y
p oduces
wi ged
ep oductive
te mites,
k ow
as
swa me s
o
alates,
they
leave
the
colo y
to
establish
ew
colo ies
of
thei
ow .
Wa m
weathe ,
ofte
followi g
ai ,
ca
t igge
these
flights.
Mississippi
State
U ive sity
e tomologist
Joh
Riggi s
explai s
that
easte
subte a ea
te mite
swa ms
o mally
occu
du i g
sp i g,
but
the
timi g
va ies
co side ably
ac oss
the
state.
Alo g
the
Gulf
Coast,
swa mi g
ca
sta t
as
ea ly
as
late
Ja ua y
o
Feb ua y,
while
o the
Mississippi
ca
see
activity
th ough
May
a d
pote tially
i to
ea ly
Ju e.
That
mea s
the e
is
o
si gle
statewide
“te mite
day”
whe
homeow e s
should
begi
looki g
fo
them.The
i sects
ca
also
be
mistake
fo
flyi g
a ts,
pa ticula ly
whe
a
swa m
appea s
sudde ly.
MSU
Exte sio
otes
that
easte
subte a ea
te mite
swa me s
have
st aight,
bead-like
a te ae
a d
two
pai s
of
clea
wi gs
of
equal
le gth.
Flyi g
a ts
have
elbowed
a te ae,
while
thei
f o t
wi gs
a e
lo ge
tha
thei
hi d
wi gs.
Afte
te mites
mate,
they
shed
thei
wi gs,
which
mea s
homeow e s
may
discove
piles
of
pale
wi gs
o
wi dowsills
o
othe
light-colou ed
su faces
eve
afte
the
i sects
themselves
have
disappea ed.The
disti ctio
matte s
because
the
p ese ce
of
swa me s
i side
a
buildi g
is
co side ably
mo e
co ce i g
tha
seei g
te mites
elsewhe e
i
the
la dscape.
MSU
Exte sio
u ba
e tomologist
Sa tos
Po tugal
says
that
fi di g
easte
subte a ea
te mite
swa me s
i side
a
buildi g
is
a
st o g
i dicatio
of
a
active
i festatio
a d
that
the
st uctu e
should
be
p ofessio ally
i spected
a d
t eated.
The
u ive sity
explai s
that
a
easte
subte a ea
colo y
takes
seve al
yea s
to
become
la ge
e ough
to
p oduce
swa me s.
So
if
hu d eds
sudde ly
appea
i doo s,
the
visible
i sects
may
ep ese t
o ly
a
ti y
f actio
of
a
much
la ge
colo y.
Po tugal
says
that
such
a
situatio
could
i dicate
te s
of
thousa ds
of
te mite
wo ke s
feedi g
o
wood
i
the
buildi g.