How To Tell A Termite From A Flying Ant
It is very difficult to differentiate between a termite and a flying ant but termite control professionals are trained to do so.
How to tell a termite from a flying ant. Ant workers are reddish or dark colored and are frequently seen in the open foraging for food. How to tell the difference between termites and flying ants. An ant s antennae will look elbowed on the ends folding or bowing inwards and it will appear to be topped with a minute ball. Do you know how to spot the difference between a termite and a flying ant.
Courtesy of amco pest solutions inc. Finally termites and flying ants have different wings. Wing to body comparison. Another thing with termites is that their wings are not as durable as ants.
Also termites have beaded antennae while ants antennae are smooth. To understand whether your house is infested or not it must be noted that one must be able to make clear distinctions between the two. On the ant look for an elbowed antennae. Although both flying ants and winged termites both sport four wings the ant s front wings are noticeably larger than the ant s rear wings.
Both have two pairs of wings and both get rid of them in similar ways. These termites may look somewhat like ants but as the image above illustrates termites have wings that are more or less equal in size a thicker waist and straighter antennas. Termite wings are uniform in size. Watch this short video to find out.
The sudden appearance of swarming ants or termites in flight is a good indicator that there is an infestation nearby. The wings of the termite fall off easily. But first let us study the two species separately. The termite will have antennae that look like they are made up of strung together beads and they will not be bent.
The loose wings can often be seen near the opening of a termite nest and can be used to identify a termite infestation. Termite workers by comparison are transparent light or creamy white in color and they avoid light. Termite wings run twice as long as the body of the insect. Flying ants however have front wings that are larger than their hind ones and are generally no longer than their body.
On the winged termite look for near straight antennas. Signs of subterranean termites include the swarming period during which time some of the subterranean termites fly from their colony to build new ones. One way to tell the difference between ants and termites is to take a close loom at their antennae. Additional blogs on winged termites and flying ants a key indicator that you have subterranean termites in your home will be the formation of mud tubes created by termites to allow them to gain access to other locations and remain protected from the dry open air.
The wings on flying ants are typically proportionate to their body size.