The Swarmers Are Coming!!
- Ewatt Green
- Mar 29
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 4
Why April to June is the High-Risk Window for Termite Prevention in Barbados
By Ewatt Green – Pest Management Professional
Fifty Years of Pest Control Service
April 4, 2026
But what are the Swarmers??
Most Barbadians know the feeling of sitting at home, relaxing in the evening, having a drink or watching television, when suddenly hundreds of flying insects dive toward your lights. They get in your hair, crawl on the walls,
and drop their wings all over your furniture. In Barbados, they are often called "Flying Ants"—a nuisance that makes for an uncomfortable evening. In the world of entomology, however, these are known as Alates. These are the winged, sexually mature reproductive stage of termites.
How do these Alates come to be? It starts deep in the termite colony, where a select few larvae are fed a specific diet and exposed to different pheromones, developing into nymphs. These nymphs grow wing pads and eventually become the winged swarmers you see diving at your lights and making you miserable.
The Mating Flight & The Climate Shift
Typically, when a swarm hits, the Bajan response is quick: turn off the lights, put out a basin of water to catch them, or grab the nearest can of household insecticide. While it may feel like an invasion to you, the swarm is actually a mating flight.
For fifty years, I have watched weather patterns, and I have seen a significant difference. Due to climate change and shifting rainfall patterns in the Caribbean, what used to be an "April event" now stretches deep into May and June. As the heat rises and the first heavy rains of the season arrive, these Alates become incredibly active.
During the flight, they are vulnerable; many will fall prey to birds and lizards, and many more will end up in those water basins.
In countries like Thailand, Vietnam, and parts of China, alates are often harvested by placing a basin of water under a light (just like we do in Barbados!). Instead of being thrown away, they are collected, their wings removed, and then dry-roasted or fried.
However, the danger isn't in the ones you catch—it's in the few that survive.
Once a male and female find each other, they shed their wings and burrow into the earth. It is here, safely underground, that they begin the quiet work of forming a new colony as King and Queen.
Termites - From the Soil to Your House
This process doesn't happen overnight. Most subterranean colonies take 3 to 5 years to reach maturity. At this point, the colony is stable enough to "invest" energy into producing its own winged swarmers to repeat the mating cycle.
A mature colony operates with a strict caste system of a queen, a king, workers, and soldiers. The workers are the ones who relentlessly and tirelessly seek out cellulose—the "food" they find in the timbers of your home. By the time you see the damage, those survivors from a swarm years ago have built a hidden army beneath your home and started a process of destruction.
The Urge to Kill Subterranean Termites
When Barbadians see a termite trail or mud exploratory tubes on their perimeter wall or column, the instinct is to go to the nearest hardware store and buy a do-it-yourself termiticide. In most cases, you will be given a cypermethrin or permethrin-based product. These are what we call repellents.
The primary flaw of repellent termiticides is that they act as a two-way barrier, which creates a serious "locking-in" effect:
Prisoners in Your Home: If termites have already breached your home's perimeter before the treatment is applied, the repellent prevents them from returning to the moisture in the soil.
Sustained Damage: Trapped inside, these termites will continue to feed on your home's timbers because they have no other choice; they cannot cross the barrier that the repellent has created.
The "Gap" Vulnerability: Repellents rely on a perfect, unbroken chemical wall. If there is even a tiny crack caused by a tree root or shifting soil, termites will eventually find that single hole and flood into your home.
A New Standard: The Non-Repellent Termiticides
Modern pest management standards have shifted toward non-repellent technology. Rather than trying to keep the termites away with a "barrier they can detect, non-repellent termiticides—such as those containing Imidacloprid—create a Termiticidal Zone.
How it works: When we apply a professional-grade, non-repellent chemical, termites cannot detect it. They travel through this "zone" without realizing they have been exposed.
The Result: Because termites are social insects that constantly groom and feed one another, they unknowingly pass the treatment throughout the entire population. This "Transfer Effect" eventually leads to the total elimination of the colony—not just the few termites you see in a termite trail.
Green's 30-Second Tip
When you see those mud tubes or termite trails on your perimeter walls, don't just spray them with a DIY product.
Doing so simply kills the termites currently in the trail and briefly disrupts their pheromone connection, but the colony remains active underground. You think the problem has been solved.
Worker termites are relentless, working 24/7; they will find another route into your home. With the swarming season now extending into June, your property is under pressure for longer.
To protect your investment, it is best to contact a professional provider like Green's Exterminating & Fencing Inc. for the peace of mind you deserve.
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