skip to main content

swamp of these in backyard, what are they

10 years ago

Hi, we just saw a swamp of these flying around in our backyard and also crawling on the ground. We found they was a huge amount of them resting/coming out from some old tree trunks (tree cut down by previous owner several years ago). Not sure if they have a nest there or they are just resting there. What are they? How can we get rid of them? We used water to spray them, but not sure if there's a nest or something that needs to be taken care of.

The black one is the younger one I believe and the adult ones have wings.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

jean001a
10 years ago
Perhaps termites?

Difficult to know for certain what they are from such a distance.
Any chance of collecting some?
Perhaps in a clear container, then take a picture?
Or capture, freeze, dump onto a plain background, then take close-up views.
0
saccharum
10 years ago
Although it's fuzzy and so one can't be 100% certain, they do look like reproductive-caste termites. These will periodically emerge from a termite colony (such as the one that's probably in those tree trunks) in huge numbers for a mating/dispersal flight. After flying and mating, the winged reproductive adults (alates) cast off their wings - the one on the right in your picture has probably done so (and is a "de-alate" prospective king or queen).
0
Related Discussions
Zinnias and swamped 1/2 whiskey barrel
Q
Comments (1)
The first thing is to get some drainage holes in it YESTERDAY. The rest is up to you as to what you want to do. The container might drain well and the soil might be usable. My suggestion would be to go to your favorite big box store or garden center and see if they carry pine bark mulch in 2 cu ft bags. That would be the beginning of a new soil mix you could make by adding a little peat (or possibly some of your MG mix) and perlite and lime to it, otherwise known as the 5:1:1 mix.
...See More
Newbee needs Help -- My backyard turned into a swamp
Q
Comments (8)
For one thing: DON'T step in your garden when its wet. Just leave it alone, you'll only compact the soil. Any cultivated soil will become thick, deep mud when when. I am very proud that rows in my garden have two feet of mud after it rains - I had to till deeply and repeatedly to get it that way! I also have a garden over clay with drainage problems (at the bottom of a hill). My solution has been to shovel deeply between rows down to more compacted soil, and to pile dirt into taller rows. The path between rows is more solid because it is just a little topsoil over clay and can be walked on when wet, and the rows themselves do not go under water. All that shoveling is also a great workout! You can see it here where the furrows are wet, but can be walked on, and the rows themselves have dried out.
...See More
pruning swamp white oak to single leader
Q
Comments (7)
Excellent advice ^. Ed Gilman there is an acknowledged leader in tree care issues. BTW, even though we constantly advise that youngish trees be pruned for single leader, it has been my experience that swamp white oaks hardly ever have any structural issues with just the way they grow themselves. Even at ten feet, it may be completely acceptable for such a tree to begin splitting into its component main leaders. If you do elect to prune, look at the U of FL link and especially, investigate "subordination pruning". This is exactly what you will want to do. +oM
...See More
Swamp sunflower -- what a show!
Q
Comments (20)
Thanks for all the kind words...I was aiming for a fall garden in that area. The only disappointment has been that callicarpa Profusion didn't do well. It grew well and flowered, but never set any berries. There also some agastaches, butterfly bushes, vitex, yellow barberries, yellow daylilies, blue siberian iris, and japanese maples (Glowing Embers), rudbeckia triloba, blue shadow fothergila and camellia sasanquas in this area...but right now the helianthus and salvia are stealing the show. It's a new bed, and I wonder what it will look like in the years to come...the woodies will take some time to show up. I have taken pictures of it throughout this year so I can track it's progress...it looked so skimpy in the spring I can hardly believe it's the same area...I love watching a garden come into its own.
...See More
stillwaterll
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you guys for your reply. After comparing with online pictures, we are quite sure they are termites. =(
We bought Ortho termite killer from Homedepot and poured onto the tree stumps and killed whatever we can see on the ground. Not sure how many have survived and fled to nearby ground. I hope they don't get inside my house. =(
0
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
10 years ago
I take it that your home is not under contract with a pest control company. If termites are a problem in your location, and you own this home, it might be something you should look into. Call your extension office to learn about the issues with termites....you don't want an infestation in your home.
0

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Asclepias Incarnata for a Butterfly Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Beautiful swamp milkweed makes it easy to help monarchs and other pollinators in eastern U.S. gardens

MOST POPULAR How to Add a Backyard Shed for Storage or Living

By Mitchell Parker

Need a home office, a playspace or extra room for your stuff? Learn about off-the-shelf, prefab and custom sheds

PATIOS A Modern Backyard Trumps the Texas Heat

By Annie Thornton

New shaded areas offer a respite in an outdoor Houston living room, while a fire pit re-creates fond memories

PATIOS Get Backyard Privacy the Subtler, Stylish Way

By Amber Hopman

Why settle for a hulking brick wall when plants, screens and other refined backyard dividers do the job with panache?

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Healthy Home Habitats for Northern Flickers

By Habitat Network

These colorful woodpeckers found across the U.S. and Canada love berries, seeds and ants and often nest in deep burrows in trees

MOST POPULAR 5 Ways to Hide That Big Air Conditioner in Your Yard

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Don’t sweat that boxy A/C unit. Here’s how to place it out of sight and out of mind

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How to Create a Zen-Inspired Garden

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

You can get the peaceful feeling of a Japanese Zen garden in your backyard by embracing these principles

DECORATING GUIDES Shop Your Garden for Easy Holiday Decorations

By Steve Asbell

Make your home merry and bright without all the stress and fuss — everything you need is in your own backyard

SIDE YARD IDEAS Narrow Trees for Tight Garden Spaces

Boost interest in a side yard or another space-challenged area with the fragrance and color of these columnar trees

FLOWERS See the Amazing Orchids Unfolding at a New York Garden Show

By Mitchell Parker

Get an eyeful of awe-inspiring orchids in incredible colors and learn how to keep one happily blooming at home

Sponsored

More Discussions

Can anyone confirm these are mealybugs?

4

Need help identifying this beetle

2

Need help IDing this moth

3

What mosquitoe is this?

1