backyard issue: anyone had termite swarmers?

[WatchingThemGrow]

A friend and I were sitting in the yard while the kids played in the sand table. She noticed a huge amount of flying insects coming from a hole in the ground. Looked like bubbles coming from a bubble machine. It was crazy. I suspected termites, so I called Terminix, who confirmed they were swarmers. The service to rid the property of them is $1100. The house does not appear to have them, and I know this is the 3rd time it has been inspected in recent years. What in the world should we do? Obviously, we'll get another company to check them out also, but how do we find out if we can DIY?

[Melbel]

Coming from someone who had extensive termite damage, I would definitely get it treated and obtain a retreat/repair bond. The big national chains tend to have contracts (the bond) that are unfavorable to consumers (MANY exclusions). IME, a more local reputable company is the way to go, but you should compare the contract terms. By far, the best termite treatment is Termidor. It has proven extremely effective.

Swarmers tend to appear here the during the first warm weather of spring, when the azaleas start blooming. Trust me, they are much more disgusting when they are swarming in your home. HTH!

ETA: As a clarification, I would not worry about treating the entire yard, so long as the house was treated properly. Here, the best method is by digging a trench around the house to apply the Termidor. This method is more effective than "rodding" (essentially, sticking a rod filled with chemical at set distances) because there can be gaps in coverage (not as big of an issue with Termidor, but a big issue with less effective termiticides). The swarmers job is to expand and establish new termite colonies. Termite damage can be very expensive to locate and repair, so it is much better to prevent them in the first place.