Termite swarmer
- Antennae
- Straight, like a string of beads
- Waist
- Thick, broadly joined
- Wings
- Two pairs, the same length, whitish
- Where you find it
- Indoors in spring, at windows and lights
Specimen 09 · Reticulitermes flavipes
Updated
Kansas pesticide business license #3403
Termites in Wichita houses
Donnie inspects for termites and doesn't treat them; he refers treatment to a termite company his dad knew for years.
Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.
Swarms
Spring, after warm rainsTime of day
Around 10 a.m.Price
$85 inspection
How do I know it's termites?
Antennae, waist and wings tell a winged termite from a winged ant.
4checks
Antennae · Waist · Wings · Shed wings
Straight antennae
Like a string of tiny beads. A winged ant's antennae bend at an elbow.
A thick waist
The body is broadly joined in the middle, with no pinch. Ants have a narrow waist.
Four equal wings
Two pairs about the same size and shape, with many faint veins, held flat over the body. The body is dark brown to black; the wings are whitish.
Shed wings
The wings break off easily after a short, fluttery flight, so you may find loose wings on a windowsill.
Winged ant
- Antennae
- Bent at an elbow
- Waist
- Narrow and pinched
- Wings
- Front pair longer than the back pair, few veins
- Where you find it
- Also swarms in spring, commonly after a rain
Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State Research and Extension, Winged Ants or Termites (2025); K-State Insect Diagnostic Lab, Winged Ants vs Termites (2008); University of Missouri Extension, Termites (G7420).
Are termites an emergency?
People
K-State's termite entry lists no bites, stings or health effects (MF3291)
The damage
Slow. A mature colony eats about a fifth of an ounce of wood a day (MF3291)
The timing
No hurry to apply control measures (Missouri Extension)
K-State says that in most cases, once an infestation is established, a professional company should be called to get rid of the colony.
Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); University of Missouri Extension, Termites (G7420).
Found winged termites?
Text Donnie a photo.
It tells him whether it's something to jump on or not a concern at all.
Take a clear photo of one, or of the wings on the sill.
Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.
Where do termites get into a house?
Colonies live in the soil and build mud tubes up to the wood. These are the four places to look.
- 01
Mud tubes on the foundation
Pencil-width tunnels of mud running along foundation walls or up to wood.
- 02
Where pipes and utilities come in
Around the holes where pipes or utility lines enter the house.
- 03
Crawl space and basement wood
The wood that sits on the foundation, the ends of floor joists and the bottoms of wall studs. Damaged wood offers little resistance when it's probed (Missouri Extension).
- 04
Wood touching the soil
Firewood, old logs, stumps and landscaping timbers against or near the house.
Their year in Kansas
Spring swarms
Swarms are most common in spring, after the first warm rains. K-State has seen them from late February to early June, depending on the weather.
Mid-morning
Spring swarming begins as the day warms, usually around 10 a.m.
Donnie's termite calls
Most come in spring.
Sources: Donnie Aaron; K-State Research and Extension, Household Pests of Kansas (MF3291); K-State Research and Extension, Kansas Bugs (2022, 2025); University of Missouri Extension, Termites (G7420).
What can I do about termites myself?
What K-State, NC State and Missouri suggest.
5steps
Tick the ones you're already doing.
Sources: K-State Research and Extension, Winged Ants or Termites (2025) and MF3291; NC State Extension, Monitoring and Management of Eastern Subterranean Termites (2025); University of Missouri Extension (G7420).
What doesn't work
Treating them yourself. K-State says the average homeowner doesn't have the training, experience or equipment to control an established colony for the long term. Missouri Extension says no do-it-yourself termite measures work. And ants and termites need completely different control, so telling them apart comes first (MF3291).
Worth knowing
One or two isn't proof
One or two winged termites indoors may have fluttered in from outside (MF3291). Large numbers inside are a sure sign the house is infested (Missouri Extension).
Old damage is hard to date
Unless live workers are found, it's hard to tell how old termite damage is, or whether the colony is still active (MF3291).
Regular checks
Without a periodic inspection, termite activity can go unnoticed for years (NC State Extension).
What does Donnie do about termites, and what does it cost?
Price · termite inspection
$85
a termite inspection. Inspection only.
Donnie works alone, so it's him at the door on every visit. Most visits are booked within a week.
See every priceArrival · A window of about an hour; he texts when he's on the way
Paying · After the visit: card, Venmo, cash or check
No contract
You pay for each visit.
Same-day reply
Mon–Fri 8–5
Licensed in Kansas
In Wichita since 1992
Text or call Donnie
(316) 681-2255
Opens your messages. Donnie replies the same day, Mon–Fri 8–5.