As the fresh bloom of springtime settles on the Baltimore area, an unwelcome guest might be creeping its way into local homes.
Termites typically beset the Mid-Atlantic region and the South from March to June, and Maryland residents have identified the pests in and around their homes this season. Rising temperatures and the recent rain are triggering the annual termite mating flight, ominously referred to as the swarming season.
Often, homeowners become aware of the problem when they see swarms of the pests. The dense black clusters they travel in might resemble a swarm of flying ants, but termites are smaller and have straight antennae in contrast to the elbow antennae of ants. They also have two pairs of wings that are of equal size; ants have larger front wings.
Eastern subterranean termites are the only species found in the state, according to Maryland agriculture officials.
Residents should be concerned if they see swarms of termites near their homes, which typically signal that other termites are busily chewing nearby. They might seem tiny and harmless, with their maggot-like appearance, but they are capable of waging war on homes by eating through wood and other materials such as furniture, paper, books, boxes and carpet backing.
They often chew away behind walls, in garages and under floorboards, burrowing their way out of their underground colonies and into paper-thin crevices.
Experts advise homeowners to routinely check the perimeters of their house for cracks in the foundation and to make sure that no piles of wood or mulch are leaning against the structure, because they often serve as a gateway for termites.
Homeowners also can test the insides of their homes for termite damage by tapping the baseboards and walls lightly with a screwdriver to determine whether they sound hollow.
Termites can travel up to 150 feet. It is probable, experts said, that termites lurking in one home could originate from a colony that is 15 feet under a neighboring house.
With an insatiable hunger for the cellulose that is found in wood, these quarter- to eighth-inch insects cause more damage to American homes than floods and fires combined.
According to the National Pest Management Association, a trade group representing 80 percent of the professional pest management industry, termite-related property damage totals more than $1.5 billion a year to more than 600,000 homes nationwide.
