Termites in Connecticut: A Native Pest Since the 1800s
Connecticut has been studying its termites for nearly a century. The state's Agricultural Experiment Station surveyed hundreds of infested buildings in the 1930s, and its entomologists still answer termite questions today. Here's what they and UConn say about when Connecticut termites swarm, how slowly they work and who's allowed to treat them.
The short version
Connecticut's termite is the eastern subterranean termite, the most important and costly structural insect pest in the state according to UConn. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station says swarms usually come March through June, occasionally on warm winter days, but never in summer or fall. Damage is slow, about a square foot of wood a year per colony, so there's time to compare quotes. Termite specialists must be certified by DEEP.
Connecticut at a glance
- Termite pressure
- Slight to moderate
- Termites to know
- Eastern subterranean
- Why termites like it here
- Cold winters and warm, humid summers, with the native eastern subterranean termite found from woodlands to city neighborhoods.
- Who licenses pest control
-
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Pesticide Management Program
Check a company's license - Inspection report for home sales
- NPMA-33 Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report
On this page
Connecticut's termite, then and now
The CAES bulletin, by Neely Turner and James Townsend, called the eastern subterranean termite the only termite known in Connecticut, a native that originally fed on dead wood in forests. Termite injury to houses in the region was recognized as early as 1875, and the bulletin's cases include South Norwalk in 1909, telephone wire insulation damaged in New Haven in 1921, and an Easton house that needed reinforcing in 1900, later found to be termite damage. Carpenters, the authors noted, often blamed it on dry rot. They examined about 300 infested buildings and suggested central heating, tree clearing and building in wooded areas had made termites more common.
Today, UConn's Home and Garden Education Center calls the same termite the most important and costly structural insect pest in Connecticut, and CAES entomologist Katherine Dugas calls it the most frequently encountered termite in New England.
When termites swarm in Connecticut
CAES says swarms usually come March through June, occasionally on warm winter days as early as January, and never in summer or fall.
| Termite | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern subterranean Daytime, often after a warm rain | some swarms | peak | peak | common | some swarms |
Signs CAES and UConn tell you to look for
From the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and UConn's Home and Garden Education Center.
| Sign | What to know |
|---|---|
| Winged termites indoors | UConn says swarmers inside suggest a colony at least five years old |
| Shed wings | About a half inch long, left behind after a short flight |
| Mud tubes | Pencil-sized and tan, on foundations and concrete |
| Hollow-sounding wood | Looks intact outside but sounds hollow when tapped |
| Soil-lined galleries | Lined with soil and feces, with no sawdust |
UConn suggests breaking open any mud tube you find and checking the wood nearby. See signs of termites.
Slow damage, careful hiring
Dugas puts a number on the pace: a colony excavates an average of about one square foot of wood per year, so hasty action isn't needed. UConn agrees termites aren't an emergency. See how fast termites damage a house.
Both recommend a licensed professional over do-it-yourself treatment, which CAES calls time-consuming, expensive and ineffective. CAES adds a practical warning: homeowner treatments won't satisfy a home inspection if you later sell. UConn's advice is to get at least three estimates, be wary of prices far above or below the others, and check a company's reputation. CAES says professional options include soil termiticide injections, baits and barrier treatments around the foundation.
Prevention with Connecticut numbers
CAES and UConn give specific targets. Keep firewood, lumber and other wood off the foundation and out of crawlspaces, and raise wood on stone or concrete at least 6 inches above soil. UConn says keep wood mulch at least 12 inches from the foundation and use pea stone next to it instead. CAES says keep plants and ground cover at least 3 feet from the foundation, avoid below-grade foam board insulation, shield wooden porches and decks with metal flashing and keep climbing plants off the house. Direct water away with gutters, downspouts, splash blocks and grading. See landscaping to prevent termites.
Who may treat
Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection certifies pesticide supervisors by category, and it says all professional termite and wood-destroying organism specialists must be DEEP-certified. Ask the company for its supervisor's termite certification, and the name of the person who will actually do the work, before signing, and call DEEP's pesticide program at 860-424-3369 if you need to check it.
For Connecticut homeowners
Do
- Watch for swarmers from March through June
- Get at least three estimates
- Keep wood mulch a foot back and plants three feet back
- Ask for the DEEP termite certification
Don't
- Treat termites yourself before selling a house
- Install foam board insulation below grade
- Panic; damage is slow
- Blame soft wood on dry rot without checking for termites
Questions people ask
When do termites swarm in Connecticut?
Usually March through June, and occasionally on warm winter days as early as January, according to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. They don't swarm in summer or fall.
How fast do termites damage a Connecticut house?
Slowly. CAES says a colony excavates about one square foot of wood per year, so there's time to compare estimates.
Can I treat termites myself in Connecticut?
CAES advises against it: self-treatment is time-consuming, expensive and ineffective, and won't satisfy a home inspection if you sell.
Who certifies termite companies in Connecticut?
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. All professional termite and wood-destroying organism specialists must be DEEP-certified.
Keep reading
Sources
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station: Eastern subterranean termite fact sheet (Dugas)
- Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 382: Termite control in buildings in Connecticut (Turner and Townsend, 1936)
- UConn Home and Garden Education Center: Termites and carpenter ants (revised 2016)
- Connecticut DEEP: Termite control specialist information