Found Termite Wings in Your House? Here's Exactly What It Means
If you've found small piles of translucent wings near your windowsills, doors, or baseboards — termite swarmers have been active inside your home. This is one of the clearest signs of an established termite infestation, and it requires immediate action.
Why Are There Termite Wings in My House?
Termite swarmers (winged reproductives) shed their wings immediately after landing — it's an instinctive behavior that happens within seconds of touching down. The wings are no longer needed once they've found their pairing site.
If you're finding wings inside your home, swarmers emerged from within your walls, floors, or foundation. They didn't fly in through an open window and leave their wings — they came from inside. This means the colony producing them is already inside your structure.
What Does This Actually Mean for Your Home?
A termite colony doesn't produce swarmers until it is 3–5 years old and well-established. If swarmers are emerging from inside your home, the infestation has been active for years — not days or weeks.
During those years, worker termites have been consuming cellulose in your walls, floors, subfloor, joists, and framing — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, without making a sound. The structural damage that accumulates in 3–5 years of active termite feeding can be significant.
Where to Check After Finding Wings
- Near the wing piles: Look for mud tubes on walls, baseboards, or where the floor meets the wall. Mud tubes are pencil-width tunnels termites use to travel from soil to wood.
- Door frames and window frames: Probe with a screwdriver — hollow or soft wood indicates feeding damage.
- Baseboards: Tap along the baseboard — a hollow sound where there should be solid wood is a red flag.
- Garage: Check where wood framing contacts the concrete slab — a common entry point.
- Attic: Check exposed wood framing for mud tubes or damaged wood.
What to Do Right Now
- Don't vacuum up the wings yet — take photos first. Document where the piles are and how large. This helps the inspector identify entry points.
- Don't spray insecticides — surface sprays won't reach the colony and may scatter them temporarily, making inspection harder.
- Call a licensed termite specialist today — not next week. Every day of delay is another day of structural feeding.
The Right Treatment When Termites Are Already Inside
When a colony is established inside your home, Sentricon bait systems are the most effective elimination method. Worker termites carry the active bait back to the colony, eliminating the queen and the entire population — including the workers that never touched a bait station. Liquid perimeter treatments alone won't eliminate a colony that's already entrenched in your structure.
Cadenhead Services is a Certified Sentricon Specialist serving all of Northwest Florida. We'll inspect, identify the extent of the infestation, and start treatment the same day when possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many wings should I be worried about?
Even a small handful of wings from a single swarm event is cause for immediate inspection. The number of wings doesn't indicate colony size — it indicates the colony has reached reproductive maturity.
Could the wings be from outside termites that flew in?
Possible but unlikely. Swarmers are poor fliers and shed wings within seconds of landing. Large piles near interior windowsills almost always indicate swarmers that emerged from inside.
Is finding wings an emergency?
Treat it as urgent. The colony won't stop feeding while you wait for an appointment. Call the same day you find them.
Will my homeowner's insurance cover termite damage?
Typically no — termite damage is classified as a preventable maintenance issue by most insurers. This makes early detection and treatment critical to protecting your investment.
Found wings? Call today. (850) 682-4333 — Cadenhead Services, FL License JB365. Same-day inspections available in Crestview, Niceville, Fort Walton Beach, and surrounding areas.
