Are Termites Active in Winter?

People often ask us if termites are active in the winter. The question is a good one. After all, termites swarm as warm weather approaches. As they are often unseen in colder weather, their behaviour makes it easy to assume that they become dormant in the winter. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

Termites can be the most active during the winter!

On the contrary, termites are not only active in the winter but may do much of their damage to your home during these colder winter months. That is because many species of termites are active and hungry in the winter. They will stay in the established location, meaning that they will be destroying your wooden foundations the entire season if you have termites when winter begins.

Another question people ask is if cold weather will kill off termites. Yes and no. Termites, like any other animal, will freeze to death if they get cold enough. However, termites are generally pretty warm and cozy in their nests. This is true in outdoor termite nests, which are often deep underground where large numbers of termites can stay warm. This is even more true in your heated home, where termites are protected from freezing temperatures. So, while termites can be killed by freezing weather, you do not want to count on a cold snap to kill off termites.

The one thing termites are unlikely to do in the winter is swarm. A termite swarm occurs when termites leave the nest to search for a new nesting location. This can occur if a nest becomes uninhabitable; however, swarms usually happen when the original colony has grown too big for its current location. Termites will then scout out new locations and swarm to them. Many people believe that a swarm is the only sign of a termite infestation but waiting exclusively for a swarm means you will miss many other signs of infestations.

While it seems like there is no good news about termites in winter, they tend to stay close to your home during the winter months, meaning it can be easier to locate nests in the colder months. This makes winter an ideal time for termite inspections and termite treatments. At Flick, we are happy to schedule termite inspections during the winter. We offer Flick’s Constant Home Protection Plans that can be tailored to your home. You will get regular annual termite inspections and treatments that will help protect your property from these persistent pests. Call Flick today at 1300 270 019 to learn more!