05/16/2026
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Just in case you missed our video with Dr. Santos Portugal, we wanted to make a post explaining the nighttime “swarming events” counties in southern Mississippi have been experiencing.
What you’re seeing are Formosan subterranean termite swarmers. These are different than our native subterranean termite swarmers (the little black ones with white wings that swarm during the day). These invasive Formosans are larger and brown in color with kind of amber wings. (picture in comments)
The Formosan termites swarm in the early evening, typically after a rain event. They’re highly attracted to light. We would suggest turning off your lights at night and closing your blinds and shutters so your house or structure won’t be as attractive to them.
They’re predominantly found in the southern half of the state, although we can find them occasionally even as far north as DeSoto County. These swarming events typically occur from May-June (usually around Mother’s Day) during the first couple hours after sunset.
So, what if you find these swarmers indoors? If they are just flying in from the outdoors, it’s likely that they’re going to die because it’s dry in your house and they almost always need soil to start a colony. And so that’s not necessarily an opportunity for them to actually infest the structure.
It’s a different story if they’re actually emerging FROM the walls, floors, ceiling, or other parts of the structure - that may be indicative of an infestation. If they’re flying in from the outdoors, it’s not necessarily a risk at that point, BUT it should still be a red flag because that means that there is a healthy, mature colony of Formosan subterranean termites probably not too far away. The primary infestation threat comes from termites below the ground that you can’t see. If you suspect an infestation, or you don’t have an active annual termite contract, it’s recommended to contact a reputable pest management professional.
These Formosan subterranean termites are considered “established” in twenty six counties, primarily in the southern half of the state. If you find Formosan subterranean termites outside this established range, please collect samples and send them in to the MSU Extension Insect ID Lab so we can track them: https://extension.msstate.edu/insects/insect-identification
You can find more info on termites here: https://extension.msstate.edu/insects/termites
