April showers may bring May flowers. But they can also bring a wide variety of pests. Some of the pests you might be seeing this April are fire ants, termites, flies, mosquitoes, bats on their migratory paths north and much more.
With all of this in mind, let’s remember some of our IPM principles for prevention of some of these pests.
The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) has been in the U.S. since the 1937 and over time it has made a steady march north far from the gulf coast. What does this mean, if you do not manage fire ants on your school campuses by following the recommendations of the Texas Two-Step method, then you are not managing fire ants. While baits are still the most cost-effective and environmentally sensitive choice for area-wide fire ant control, mound treatments are effective for controlling visible mounds and can be applied any time of year. Mound treatments are ideally used against fire ant nests that need quick control, like mounds next to the campus building or in other inconvenient locations like the second plate. Check out the IPM Action Plan for Fire Ants to develop your district protocol for this stinging insect.
Remember ants have pinched waists and termites have no waist.
Termites, because of their secretive, underground habits, can live in buildings a long time undetected. The one time in the year that termites are most likely to alert humans to their presence is swarming season. Without swarming season, termites would do a lot more damage to buildings because problems would go undetected and untreated for longer periods of time.
April and May are the principal months for swarming in Texas. Although termites can swarm any time of year, our most common species, the eastern subterranean termite (Reticulitermes sp), most commonly swarms during mid-spring. While it’s ‘cousin’ the Formosan subterranean termites (Coptotermes formosanus) typically swarm in May. Another termite species you could encounter at any time is the drywood termite. will live in sound dry wood that is found above the ground. There are three common species of drywood termites found in Texas (Incisitermies snyderi, Cryptotermes brevis, and Incisitermes minor). These termites get the moisture that they need from the wood that they digest, because of this they do not need any contact with the soil. In structures, they prefer to nest under wooden roof shingles, eaves, or siding.
IPM Coordinators should be familiar with the appearance and behavior of termite swarmers and should encourage maintenance and custodial staff to report termite swarmers immediately. Because swarmers disappear as quickly as they appear, it is too easy to assume the problem has also gone. The presence of swarmers indoors is a sure sign of an active termite infestation.
In most parts of Texas termite swarming activity starts with the construction of a swarm tube in late March or early April. A swarm tube looks innocent enough at first, a small dab of mud or dirt appearing mysteriously on an indoor wall. Within a week or two, however, when the weather conditions are right, the tiny hole becomes a doorway for dozens to thousands of termite swarmers.
Fortunately, the thousands of termite swarmers appearing into a school office or classroom do not contribute to the indoor spread of termites. Subterranean termite swarmers that appear indoors are unlikely to start a nest. Because they cannot reach soil, any swarmers that appear indoors quickly die. However, the IPM coordinator or building manager needs to investigate and inspect the area where the termites swarmed from to figure out if an active termite colony is in the building. The good news is, this can wait until after the end of school. The bad news is you will have to call in a pest professional to conduct a thorough inspection and treatment. There are several treatment options for more information about termites, check out our Urban Entomology website.
Use what is handy to gently collect the bat. If no one has touched the bat you can release, if human or pet comes in contact with a bat call your local animal control for more information.
Bats migrating north or coming out of hibernation will find school campuses a place to rest and roost. Bats consume large amounts of insects, including crop-damaging pests, and are considered a beneficial species. But they can also be a nuisance and pose a public health risk. It is important for people to be mindful of their presence and role in the environment and cautious during encounters.
There are 33 bat species in Texas, representing one of the most diverse bat populations in the U.S. Bats roost in various habitats, including caves, trees and bridges, but they are increasingly found in buildings. They typically live near food and water sources, but some bats travel miles each night to eat their favored foods, which are moths, grasshoppers, crickets and other insects like mosquitoes. School campuses become good locations to live in and around due to the way many of roofs are built. Add in the lighting factor at stadiums and campuses that can draw in insects which can draw bats to enter structures like gyms, bus barns, and ceiling plenum areas via gaps in the flashing that surrounds the roof lip.
We have a couple of resources you will find helpful to help managing bats in and around schools. The IPM Action Plan will help educate everyone in the district about bats and what to do if you find a bat. Use the link for School IPM Coordinator Notebook page, scroll down towards the bottom you will find a poster that can be printed to help ensure that students and teachers know what to do when they see a bat. There are additional documents to help others know what to do if a person encounters a bat.
Remember we have even more resources on the School IPM Website.
Finally, our two-day school IPM workshops will be held in Del Valle ISD April 22 & 23, 2026 and in Dallas at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center May 6 & 7, 2026. Each day we will offer CEU credits for those who hold TDA AG license categories and SPCS license holders can receive up to 11 CEU credits if you attend both days. Registration Costs $260 for both days, $160 for one day, all participants will receive a school IPM coordinator manual and lunch provided by one of our sponsors. To register or for more information about these trainings visit AgriLife Register use IPM in the search box to find these classes.
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