Well, it happens immediately after the first heavy rain of July. you are sitting in your living room, and suddenly a massive number of winged insects surrounds your ceiling light. Within ten minutes, they start dropping their long, transparent wings all over your floor, your sofa, and even your dinner plates 🤢
I handled this badly last year. In a moment, i went looking for a chemical bug spray container and sprayed the tube light with it. the living room was full with poisonous toxins when the termites landed since all of my windows were closed to keep the rain out. floor was a sticky mix of chemicals and dead insects, and we had to leave the room for an hour simply breathing in air.
To deal with this, you don’t have to burn gas in your own home. here are some real, non-toxic home remedies that you can try right now if you’re badly trying to get rid of flying termites near lights during the monsoon.
The classic bowl of soapy water trick (Best Method)
This is a time-tested home remedy that requires only just 30 seconds to put up and is more effective than any costly mosquito repellant.
Also it is often referred to as alates, flying termites are totally blind. they are just rapidly flying toward the room’s brightest light source since they have no idea where they are heading. this can be used against them.
Take a big plate or a large, shallow dish from the kitchen. you can add a couple large drops of liquid dish soap (such as Vim or Pril) and fill it with regular tap water. This dish should be placed on a table exactly below the glowing lightbulb.
The light from the ceiling is reflected by the water in the bowl, which works as a mirror. are you confused? well, termites burst straight into the mirror and land in the water. termites immediately sink and drown rather than float away because you added dish soap, which breaks the water’s surface tension. Nearly all of the colony will be locked up in the bowl after twenty minutes.
Turn off the main lights and use a “Bait” light
Controlling the lights is the easiest approach to get rid of a large group that is entering your room through a little opening in your window.
Turn off every light in your home, including the TV, and keep only one little lightbulb on in a room you don’t use, such the balcony or bathroom. without delay, the entire swarm will move away from your living room and fly in the direction of that one brilliant source. after they’re all in the bathroom, you may close the door, install the soapy water trap, and resume peacefully watching TV.
The Plastic Bag Trap for Tube Lights
The bowl method might be a little challenging to position if your primary light is a long tube lamp placed on the wall. This is a great option.
You should consider a standard, clear plastic grocery bag. you can also use a few drops of water to softly wet the interior of the bag. The open plastic bag should be hanged straight from the tube light fitting’s corner.
Termites will fly around the tube light, hit the wall, and land neatly in the open plastic bag. their brittle wings become stuck to the plastic due to the wet interior of the bag, making it impossible for them to fly back out. you just make a knot in the bag and throw of it in the trash can when the swarm has left and there is no need for cleaning.
What to do when they drop their wings?
The effects of a termite attack is the most annoying part. you will find hundreds of broken wings on your floor the next morning, even if you manage to catch the most of them.
You should avoid using a mop or a damp towel to clean this up. Wet wings become tough to remove off the floor because they stick to it like superglue. they must be swept up with a vacuum or a fully dry broom. If your bedroom furniture is already trapping moisture (and you are struggling to get the damp smell out of your wooden cupboards), it becomes the perfect breeding ground for these pests.
You should keep an eye out for the areas where the wingless insects are crawling. Flying termites look for a wet, dark gap in your wooden furniture or skirting boards to set up a new colony as soon as they remove their wings. In order to prevent wingless termites from eating your door from the inside out, you should contact a pest control expert right once if you find them entering into the wooden frame of your doors.
Natural repellents to keep them away
You can use natural scents that termites do not like if you don’t want to put up bowls of soapy water every night.
Natural termite killers include orange and neem oils. I fill a little spray bottle with water and a few drops of pure neem oil. I lightly spray the mosquito mesh and the outside frame of my windows before it gets dark.
The neem oil’s strong, bitter smell works as an invisible barrier. The crowd will strike the window screen when it gets there, smell the oil, and go off for another place to live right away. It is totally safe to use with children and pets.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do flying termites only come out when it rains?
Typically, termites live well below the surface. Their nests become full when the ground gets wet by the first strong monsoon rains. In order to locate higher ground and mate, this causes the winged termites to fly out in huge numbers. Additionally, the air’s moisture prevents their sensitive wings from drying up.
Are flying termites harmful to humans?
No, they don’t bite people, they don’t sting, and they don’t spread illness. they present no threat to your health at all. They create a serious risk to your property, though. A male and female termite will eat through the wood and establish a new colony inside your home if they discover a break in your wooden furniture after removing their wings.
Does burning camphor or dhoop keep them away?
A huge group that is already centered on a bright light will not be stopped by strong smoke from camphor or mosquito coils, however it will significantly confuse them. The soapy water trap is considerably quicker and doesn’t produce a lot of smoke in your private area.
