When Is Termite Swarm Season in Coastal NC and SC?

When Termites Swarm Around Wilmington, Jacksonville, Myrtle Beach and Charleston

NC State Extension and Clemson Extension do not publish separate swarm dates for each city, so the same regional timing applies across the areas we serve: around our Wilmington, Jacksonville and Charleston offices and in our Myrtle Beach service area.

Native subterranean termites, the group you are most likely to see in North Carolina, begin swarming in late winter and can keep swarming into September or October. Most swarms come in spring. They usually happen during the day, particularly on warm days following rain, and in South Carolina often in the afternoon.

Formosan subterranean termites add a second season in South Carolina. Clemson Extension has documented established Formosan colonies in 16 counties, including Horry and Charleston, with the heaviest concentration along the coast from Charleston south to Beaufort. Formosan termites often swarm from mid-May to July, usually in the evening, and their swarmers are attracted to lights.

A colony has to be several years old before it swarms. NC State Extension puts it at 3 to 5 years, so a swarm points to a colony that has been feeding nearby for a while.

Termite Swarmers vs Flying Ants

Several kinds of ants swarm at the same times of year as termites, and the winged forms look alike at first glance. Check three things:

• ✓Antennae: termites have straight, beaded antennae. Ants have elbowed antennae with a sharp bend.
• ✓Waist: termites have a thick, tube-like body. Ants have a narrow, pinched waist.
• ✓Wings: a termite's four wings are all the same length. An ant's front wings are longer than its back wings.
• ✓Size and color: in South Carolina, native termite swarmers are about 3/8 inch long and black, and Formosan swarmers are about 1/2 inch long and golden brown.

What a Swarm Indoors or Outdoors Means

Outdoors: swarmers near tree stumps, landscape timbers or other wood touching the soil do not mean your house is infested. The colony could be in your yard, a neighbor's yard or a wooded lot down the street. They are a reminder that termites live around us.

Indoors: swarmers inside the house usually mean an infestation somewhere in or under the home. Indoor swarmers often die from lack of moisture, so you may only find dead swarmers or their shed wings on window sills.

The swarmers themselves do not damage wood. Worker termites do that, out of sight, which is why a swarm is a sign to have the home inspected rather than a problem in itself.

What to Do If Termites Swarm

• ✓Collect a few swarmers or shed wings. Clemson Extension suggests a glass or plastic jar of rubbing alcohol, not water, so they stay in good shape for identification.
• ✓Check that they are termites, not ants, using the antennae, waist and wings.
• ✓If you already have a termite contract, call that company. Annual renewals often cover retreatment.
• ✓If you do not, do not panic and do not sign the first contract you are offered. Clemson Extension notes the damage termites do over a few days or even a few weeks is minimal, so take time to talk with more than one company and look for a good written guarantee.
• ✓Do not count on spraying the swarmers. That clears the ones you can see but does not stop the colony or protect the house.

When to Call a Professional

Call for an inspection when you find swarmers or shed wings inside, when you see mud tubes on your foundation or walls, or when you cannot tell whether the insects are termites or ants. A thorough inspection by a trained professional is the way to find where termites are feeding.

Diamond Pest Pro's state-licensed technicians inspect homes from our Wilmington, Jacksonville and Charleston offices and across our Myrtle Beach service area. Our termite protection plan includes annual inspections, preventive treatment and retreatment if termites return.

Sources

This guide draws on the following extension publications: NC State Extension, Termite Swarmers: What Do They Mean for You? (Crawley and Hayes, revised February 2023); NC State Extension, Monitoring and Management of Eastern Subterranean Termites (Hayes and Alder, January 2025); Clemson Home and Garden Information Center, Formosan Termites Increase Distribution in SC (Benson, December 2022); Clemson Home and Garden Information Center, Subterranean Termite Control (HGIC 2447); Clemson Home and Garden Information Center, Formosan Subterranean Termites (HGIC 2424).