Coming soon: Termite swarms

The snows and ice are gone, but the lingering cold has left a legacy in the ground, where termites like to spend their winters.

Thanks to the cold, they have been slow to awaken, but they very likely will be making up for any lost time, and then some, according to Bennett Jordan, entomologist with the National Pest Management Association.

"They are starting to get back into spring behavior," he said.

All that melted snow and ice has some benefits for the average termite who typically enjoys a juicy environment.

Plus, not much is more pleasurable to the average termite than softened wood marinated in moisture.

In short, said Jordan, the day of the termite might be at hand.

Looking ahead, he said the yellow jacket population might be down this year since the winter might have been a rough one for the queens.

Mosquitoes, however, are poised for a productive season, given the winter's precipitation, he said.

Plus, the ground has been slow to thaw at lower levels, and that has encouraged more ponding during rainfalls, and mosquitoes love ponds.

Obviously, what happens in the coming months will be important for the bounty of the mosquito population. A drought, for example, would have an inhibiting effect.

Not that anyone is rooting for drought.