Termite Swarm Season Calendar by State

Choose your state and get its termites, their swarm months and the time of day each one flies. Ten seconds, no sign-up.

By John Updated 2 min read
Sketch of a wall calendar with spring months circled and a few termite swarmers flying across it

The short version

Pick your state below. Most of the country's native subterranean termites swarm on warm spring days after rain, but the calendar shifts a lot: Florida's start in January, the Formosans of the Gulf Coast fly at dusk in May, western termites swarm after the first fall rains, and the desert Southwest swarms with the summer monsoon.

On this page
  1. Your state's swarm calendar
  2. How to read it
  3. Saw a swarm? Here's the short version
  4. Questions

Your state's swarm calendar

The calendar shows typical ranges. A warm spring brings everything forward, and southern parts of a state usually run a few weeks ahead of northern parts.

Pick a state to see which termites live there and the months each one usually swarms.

How to read it

Each row is one termite. Darker squares are peak months; pale squares are months when a few swarms are possible. The small print under each name says when in the day it flies. Dusk flights toward lights usually mean Formosan or Asian subterranean termites, while sunny midday flights after rain are classic native subterraneans.

Where we've written a guide for your state, the calendar uses that guide's list of termites, so the two always match. Everywhere else, it uses the species ranges from university extension services. If your swarm doesn't fit the calendar at all, the insects may be ants: check with flying ants vs termites.

Saw a swarm? Here's the short version

Inside the house, a swarm almost always means a colony in or under the building. Sweep up the swarmers, save a few for identification and don't spray. The full to-do list is in termites swarming in your house, and the background on timing, weather and time of day is in when do termites swarm.

Questions people ask

When is termite swarm season in my state?

Pick your state in the calendar above. For most of the East, South and Midwest it's spring, from as early as January in Florida and South Texas to April and May farther north. Formosan termites swarm in late spring, western subterranean termites in fall, and desert termites in summer.

Why do the months differ from what my neighbor saw?

Swarms depend on the weather. A warm, wet spring brings them forward, and a cold one pushes them back. The calendar shows typical ranges, not exact dates.

Where does the calendar's information come from?

From university extension services and published studies, including the University of Florida, Texas A&M, UC IPM, the University of Arizona, NC State and Colorado State. Where we have a state guide, it uses that guide's researched species list.

Sources