Termite swarming season is here

TAMPA - They're the worst kind of unwelcome house guests, the ones that can literally eat you out of house and home: termites.

"They're swarming. It's their mating season," said Vicki Hutto, owner of VIP Pest Control in Tampa. "Usually they'll join you for dinner time."

Termite swarming season means pests are coming out of the woodwork, wreaking havoc.

"It just makes people aware, 'I've got termites' but really they've had them for about five years," said Frank Mongiov, owner of Best Termite Pest Control.

Local pest control companies say they're already getting slammed with phone calls. Some are booked through August. However, they say this year some people with a pest problem are putting it off because of their pocketbooks.

"Money may be tight, but these are things that we need to do to protect the single largest investment that we make is in our home," Mongiov said.

This means pay now.

"Can you afford not to? Can you afford to let the termites to eat away at your home?" Mongiov said.

Or pay later.

"You have a choice. Do you want to spend the few bucks to get the termites treated or repair a lot of damage later on?" Hutto said. "They are not going to go away."

Experts say there are less expensive treatments, but if you are dealing with dry wood termites starting to swarm tenting and fumigating are your best options, even though it's more expensive.

"If you catch it during the first swarm season, generally you can do something about it," Hutto said. "Then they are only going to get worse."

Several companies are now offering payment plans to ease the pain of pests.

"We're very aware of the economy and where it's going so we try to lower the prices a little bit and help everybody out right now," Hutto said.

Experts say depending on the type of termite, some move quickly others work slowly over years. But both are hungry, ready to feast on your home while damaging it along the way.