Termites are active 365 days a year, winter included

There’s a misconception between many of us that termites are only partially active during the year. Many of us even believe that termites are not active during the winter, but that’s not the case. In fact, termites are very active during the winter and they actively do a lot of damage during the colder months. That’s why you will see a lot of termites in your home even if it’s cold outside.

Why does this happen?

There are less food sources and the cold temperatures prevent termites from going out too much. That being said, they are still very hungry, and because of that they will stay within their current location, trying to eat as much as they can to fulfill their needs. Obviously, this is bad for you if your home is invaded by termites. They will try to eat and damage all the wood, which is why you need to ensure that you work with a professional to deal with this situation and tackle it as quickly as you can. Otherwise, you will face some challenges, as you can see here.

Can cold weather kill termites?

Generally, termites will avoid going out in the cold unless there is a very specific reason. Usually, that means they are extremely hungry. But for the most part you will not see termites go out. They will freeze to death if they stay outside for a long time period. With that being said, their nests are underground, so they do stay warm and don’t really need to go outside. However, if they run out of food, this is a major issue and a concern, so they will go out and scout new location.

Do termites swarm during the winter?

No, that’s not going to happen unless they are leaving the nest and moving to a new one. It can also happen if the current nest is not habitable anymore or, in other cases, the colony is too large and they must move. They do avoid moving during the winter, especially if we are talking about a large colony.

Conclusion

Talking with an exterminator is very important if you see any termites during the winter or any season. Even winter time won’t stop termites from damaging your home, on the contrary, things can get much worse than anticipated. Which is why we believe that it’s imperative to work closely with a professional and solve any termite infestation as quickly as possible!