BATON ROUGE - Termites are beginning to appear across South Louisiana with the start of the season right around the corner. Swarms of bugs you may see around lights could resemble moths, but many of them are termites.

"I hate them, I hate them," said resident Michael Creed.

Creed knows what a burden termites are after they caused thousands of dollars in damage to his home.

"I had a big house up in the Felicianas, a beautiful country home that we got termites back in one corner of it. I didn't protect it for termites at the time. I said, 'What do I need termite protection for?' Well, I quickly learned." 

Companies like Arrow Termite and Pest say protection matters before problems begin.

CEO Jacob Cohn said calling a professional company for treatment and getting educated on the types of warranties offered is recommended. Arrow uses baiting systems installed in the ground to attract and eliminate termites.

"We use a baiting system coupled with basically a lure and a pheromone trail that is going to attract termites and lead them to stations," Cohn said.

Other companies, like Arceneaux Pest Management, use soil treatments. They encourage homeowners to look out for certain signs that termites are around or things that may attract them.

"So, leaking faucets, AC drain lines, roof leaks, plants that are really close to the house and splash rainwater, stucco and imitation stucco with cracks in it," Jimmy Arceneaux, the co-owner of the company, said.

Experts say southern Louisiana draws termites, and they expect to see more swarms closer to Mother's Day.

You can track termites using this website.