Why Alabama Termite Season Starts in March — And What to Watch For

If you live in Alabama and you've never seen a termite swarm, you will. They show up like clockwork — sometime between mid-March and late May, on the first warm humid afternoon after a soaking rain. Hundreds of winged insects boiling up out of a stump, a porch column, or worse, a baseboard inside your living room.

That's what we get the most calls about every spring. So here's what's actually happening, why Alabama gets hit harder than most states, and what we tell every customer when they call.

Why March?

Subterranean termites — the ones that cause 95% of the damage in our state — live in colonies hundreds of thousands strong, deep underground. They eat year-round, but they only reproduce when conditions are exactly right: soil temperature above 70°F, recent rainfall, warm humid afternoon air.

In Birmingham, that combination usually shows up in the second or third week of March. Down in Auburn it can hit a week earlier. In Huntsville, sometimes a week later. But by April, every county we serve is in peak swarm.

What you'll actually see

A termite swarmer looks almost identical to a flying ant — about half an inch long, dark brown, with four wings. The easy tell: termite wings are all the same length, and they break off easily. If you find a pile of identical translucent wings on a windowsill or near a baseboard, you have termites. Not "you might." You do.

The swarmers themselves don't bite, don't sting, don't damage anything. They're just looking for a mate so they can start a new colony. The damage is being done by the workers underground — the ones you'll never see.

Why Birmingham gets it worse

Two reasons. First, our red clay soil holds moisture for weeks after rain. That's perfect for termites — they need constant moisture to survive. Second, our housing stock skews old. A lot of homes in Forest Park, Mountain Brook, Crestwood, and Vestavia were built before subterranean termite treatment was even routinely required. The wood-to-soil contact in those old foundations is exactly what termites are hunting for.

Newer construction in Trussville, Helena, and Greystone gets pre-treated at the slab pour, but pre-treat warranties typically expire after 5 years. After that, the home is on its own unless the owner signs up for ongoing protection.

What we recommend

We've been treating Alabama termites since 1958. For four generations, the company my grandfather started has tried every method the industry has thrown at homeowners — chlordane (banned), Dursban (banned), liquid soil barriers, foaming agents, baits. The one that consistently works in our clay soil is Sentricon® Always Active™.

It's a bait station system. We install monitoring stations every 10–15 feet around your foundation. When termites find the stations (they always do — they're constantly foraging), they take the bait back to the colony, and the entire colony collapses. No drilling into your slab. No tank trucks. No chemicals injected into the soil under your kids' play area.

Sentricon is backed by a $1,000,000 damage repair warranty from Corteva — the manufacturer. If termites cause damage to your home while we're protecting it, that's covered.

If you find swarmers in your house

Don't panic. Don't bug-bomb the room. Don't try to scrub them up before "they get worse." Take three steps:

1. Photograph what you found — both the swarmers and the location.
2. Collect a few in a sandwich bag, just in case.
3. Call us for a free inspection. We'll send a Sentricon-certified technician within 24 hours, usually fast scheduling. The inspection is free and there's no obligation.

Call our nearest office:

• Birmingham — (205) 940-6360
• Lake Martin / Alex City — (256) 234-6162
• Huntsville — (256) 937-7676

Kevin Wedgworth is the third-generation owner of EnviroCare Pest & Termite Services, founded by his grandfather Phillip M. Wedgworth in Alexander City, Alabama, in 1958.