In a favorable year, literally billions of Kansas termites go house-hunting then. Most people miss the flight. The swarmers emerge and disperse in minutes. For example, if termites swarm indoors, broken wing parts often show up near windows and doors. So, if you find fragile, grayish-colored wings while cleaning a window sill, you should save samples and get them identified.
Termites swarm only when their home colony has become overcrowded.
They don't have the energy to fly far without the wind's help. As a result, termite wings indoors generally are a sure sign that a mature colony of between 60,000 and 200,000 termites is still at work nearby. He strongly recommends that homeowners make sure of an insect's identity before considering any pesticide use. He also recommends that homeowners hire professionals to apply needed termite controls, which now include some of the strongest pesticides available. County Extension offices can help with identification by sending samples to the Department of Entomology's diagnostic lab in Manhattan, he said.