Termites or Ants? Termite Inspections Help to Identify Pests.

termite inspections

Termite inspections are a big part of owning and maintaining a home. Allowing a trained and experienced professional exterminator access to areas where termites thrive stops them from proliferating and disables their growth.

While we always advocate annual termite inspections, do you to know when to call a professional to mitigate your problem? Can you tell the difference between a flying ant and a termite?

In this post, we’ll give you some identifying factors of each pest, so you know how to properly proceed if they are present in your home.

Why you might confuse the two.

Both ants and termites release nubile flying versions of themselves to find new places to colonize. These winged invaders are called “swarmers.” And because they look almost identical to the untrained eye, they are very easy to mix up with one another. In any case, no matter which you have, they need to be removed from your home.

How to tell them a part.

Ants

• Elbowed antenna (bent similar to how and arm bends)
• Tiny and constricted waist
• Two long outer wings that overlap two short inner wings
• They keep wings after flying to a new spot

Termites

• Antenna that appear banded and more flexible
• Much thicker waist than an ant
• Wings all the same length, no difference in pairs like ants
• Wings come off after flying

When you’ll see each in different seasons.

Late summer to fall: If you see a flying insect as described during this time, you are probably seeing termites, likely drywood termite swarmers

Winter to spring: If you see a flying insect as described during this time, you are likely seeing subterranean termite swarmers.

Summer: If you see a flying insect as described during this time, you are most likely seeing swarming ants.

The best way to determine your type of insect is to contact us. We can identify the pest that you have and help put a stop to their behavior, removing them from your home quickly and easily in just one visit.