Scott Satchfield / Eyewitness News
Email: ssatchfield@wwltv.com | Twitter: @satchfield
John Sullens didn’t quite know what to think Thursday night, when a termite swarm descended on his Metairie home.
"I had never seen anything like it before, I thought we were getting attacked," Sullens said. "Wings everywhere and then the next thing I saw were all these insects crawling around the inside of the door jamb, up the glass and all over the outside light."
At Jason Lynch's house in Destrehan, it was more of the same.
"They're hitting you in the face, and you feel 'em flying around. You think they're mosquitoes, but they're not. Then I come inside, go to wash my hands and this is what I find," Lynch said, pointing to several dead termites near his kitchen sink.
Viewer photos of termite swarms have been rolling in from across the metro area.
Friday, local pest control companies were swamped.
"The phone rang off the hook," said Jed Darensbourg with DA Exterminating.
Darensbourg wants to calm fears, though.
He points out, finding a few termites in your home -- especially during a swarm -- doesn't necessarily mean you have an infestation.
"You’re gonna see a few in your home, no matter what. They're gonna find a way to get in. They're attracted to light, so turn your lights off at night to reduce the swarmers from coming inside,” he said.
However, a much larger amount of termites inside could spell trouble.
“If you have hundreds inside your home, you more than likely have a problem," Darensbourg said.
If that’s the case, Darensbourg said it deserves an inspection because, during a swarm, termites that may have been hiding all year will suddenly make their presence known.
"The swarmers, if they're in a wall, want out. So, they're gonna expose themselves from the wall, little mud caps, little mud clumps," he said.
Back in Destrehan, Jason Lynch believes his home will be okay, but, what he saw last night was unsettling.
"It looks like something out of a horror film," Lynch said.
