Subject: Are they termites?
Location: Los Angeles, CA
December 6, 2012 3:56 pm
Hi! This morning I woke up and saw a bunch of these between my window and window screen. I got them all outside of the window and closed it, but when checked later, a few more showed up between the screen and the window. I don’t know how they got there! I made sure my window was locked. Also, it rained a few days ago and my window sill contains soil but no plants. Are they termites or flying ants? Would I need to leave my building to have them exterminated? Are they harmful to people? Thanks!
Sorry I couldn’t get good photos. I didn’t want to get close to them!
Signature: Clueless
Termite Alate
Dear Clueless,
You are not giving yourself enough credit. You are correct. This is a Termite, more specifically a Termite Alate, the winged reproductive caste. You can tell by your photograph that it is a sunny day. Termites often swarm on a warm sunny day immediately after a good rain. You probably have a colony somewhere in the house if the swarm appeared indoors. You might want to consider professional assistance. We believe this is the Pacific Coast Dampwood Termite, , which you may read about on BugGuide.
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