Category: Termite Guides

In nature, there are various types of insects that are similar to each other. Many inexperienced gardeners often confuse flying ants with termites.

However, the external difference between them is noticeable even to the naked eye if you know what exactly you should pay attention to.

Knowing which pest has settled in your area is important for choosing correct control methods. In this article, I will look at the difference between termites vs. flying ants and tell you about the features of each species and the most effective ways to deal with them.

Flying Ant vs. Termite Guide

Both ants and termites live in large colonies and inhabit almost all continents (except Antarctica). Despite the apparent similarity, they differ in external features and social lives.

Below I have covered all the key aspects so that you can get a detailed understanding of the difference between these types of insects.

Appearance

Flying ants and termites are relatively small creatures that are nevertheless easy to spot with the naked eye. As a rule, we ​​most often encounter the so-called “workers” in everyday life.

They make up the vast majority of a colony and are engaged in taking care of a family, getting food, caring for larvae, cleaning rooms, and so on. Let’s look at the difference between flying ants and termites, using this caste as an example.

• Color: Working ants are dark in color. Their shade can vary from dark red to brown and almost black. On the other hand, termites mostly have beige or creamy bodies, which makes them appear translucent.
• Body shape: Ants have well-defined narrow waists as if tightened by something. Termites, on the contrary, have uniformly elongated bodies without any changes in abdomen areas.
• Wings: Both species have four wings. In ants, they are short, and the fore wings are much wider than the hind wings. Termites have dragonfly-like wings that are considerably longer than their bodies. Despite having wings, both ants and termites primarily use their legs for locomotion; they fly for a very short time. After mating, both species shed their wings.
• Antennae: In ants, they are strongly curved, as if broken; termites, on the contrary, have absolutely straight or slightly curved antennae.

Behavior

Ants and termites are social insects that live in huge groups. The first ones live in nests called anthills. They can be built from small organic particles or organized in soil, fallen trees, and under rocks. At the same time, ants do not eat wood but only gnaw out rooms in it.

Some parasitic species can “settle” in the nests of other insects. Up to five million ants can live in large anthills. The workers actively forage on the surface, so they often catch our eye.

Termite nests are called termite mounds and can be enormous (about 10 feet in height). It is believed that these are the largest structures built by land creatures. These insects mostly move underground, so they are not as visible as ants.

However, they can also organize their nests in a tree. They eat wood, so you will not see wood chips next to inlets, as with anthills. Because of it, termites are a particular threat to human wooden structures.

Food

Flying ants are omnivorous insects. They eat everything literally: plants, mushrooms, seeds, other insects (including dead ones), honeydew, and so on.

Adults consume mainly carbohydrates, while larvae prefer protein foods. The Attini species, for example, has mastered agricultural skills and learned to grow mushrooms in anthills.

The basis of the termites’ diet is cellulose, which is found in large quantities in plants and trees. They have evolved complex and unique intestinal microflora to digest this material well.

Certain species of termites, like ants, have learned to grow Termitomyces fungi, which turn cellulose into edible compost and maintain a microclimate in nests.

Life cycle

The life cycles of ants with wings or termites are very similar. The former go through three stages: egg, larvae (sometimes called a nymph), and adult. After the larva phase, the latter has one more “pupa” step.

Ants may have one or more reproductive females (queens) depending on the colony size. Most of the families are barren female workers; males usually die after mating. The situation is about the same in a termite colony, but castes are laid down genetically and not due to social changes.

That is why they are considered more advanced genetically. Termites have a king and queen who produce eggs and workers and soldiers to keep the entire family safe.

Damage

There can be many advantages to having an ant-looking bug with wings in your backyard. However, if such insects breed and build several anthills, there will be much more disadvantages:

• they devour tender plants and sweet crops (strawberries, beets, tomatoes, etc.);
• ants like aphid secrete called honeydew, and therefore carefully protect aphids and help them move from bush to bush;
• in addition to sweet crops, they harm flowering plants;
• their active construction activity destroys flower beds, lawns, and even the foundations of houses;
• the soil next to an anthill always has higher acidity, which can be detrimental to some plants;
• ants contribute to the spread of weeds as they eat their seeds;
• these insects can carry fungal and viral diseases, infecting plants in your yard;
• bites of some species are very painful and can be deadly for people with hypersensitivity and allergies.

A neighborhood with ants is both harmful and beneficial. Therefore, your main task is to find proper pest control. If there are not many of these insects yet, you should not disturb them. Termites are traditionally considered absolute pests:

• they easily gnaw even hardwoods, which dramatically increases the likelihood of collapse of wooden buildings and death of people;
• in addition to trees, they also eat fabrics and paper;
• they release bacteria when they bite that cause a severe allergic reaction and provoke a rise in temperature, Quincke’s edema, dizziness, and so on.

The main danger of termites is that they are unobtrusive and pose a hidden threat. You may not know that insects gnaw on your patio’s support beams until the roof collapses. A small colony can eat a huge tree in a couple of days.

Control methods

Both synthetic insecticides and natural repellents can be used to deal with ants and termites. However, first of all, you need to investigate the territory or room they wound up in and determine what exactly could attract them.

Remove all sources of food and liquids, close trash cans carefully, and dry areas where moisture accumulates.

After that, you can apply diatomaceous earth, boric acid, kerosene, and other means in places of accumulation and movement of ants. If you don’t have pets, you can use synthetic insecticides such as those containing Fipronil or Pyrethrum.

In areas where you have found signs of termite infestation, you can also use diatomaceous earth and boric acid. Additionally, use termite sprays and scatter granular insecticides that serve as poison bait. Look for Chlorfenapyr, Fipronil, and Imidacloprid in pest control tools.

Since it can be difficult for amateurs to determine how deep termites have penetrated your house, at the first sign, I recommend contacting specialists. They will be able to solve this problem more quickly.

Flying Ant vs. Termite FAQ

In this block, you will find my answers to common questions from readers about ants with wings and termites.

Are flying ants a problem?

By themselves, they are not dangerous. If you see a flying ant, you can be sure it looks for a mating partner. At the same time, it means that there is a full-fledged colony somewhere nearby, and now this is a problem.

Besides, a mated female can organize its own colony if it finds a suitable nest site.

Can flying ants damage your home?

Unlike termites, ants do it indirectly. If they build an anthill near your house, it may damage the foundation or walls as the colony grows. Ants, including their flying species, do not feed on wood and other building materials but gnaw on them to create passageways.

Do flying ants eat wood?

No, they do not eat wood, but they can gnaw tunnels into them, pushing the wood shavings out. By accumulations of wood dust, you can determine whether you have ants or termites.

Can flying ants live in walls?

Unfortunately, it is possible if there are all conditions for it: high humidity, the presence of easily accessible food, rotten wall material, and so on. Carpenter ants are especially predisposed to it.

Learn to Distinguish Flying Ants or Termites for Effective Fighting

I know how annoying insects can be. That is why it’s important to distinguish them from each other and understand the peculiarities of behavior to choose the most effective elimination method.

Being quite experienced in pest control, I can say that it is best to adhere to an integrated approach and use several tools simultaneously. I hope that after reading my article, you will be able to determine which insects you have clearly.

Have you ever experienced ant or termite infestation? What methods have been the most effective in your case? Please share your tips with other readers!

Also read

• How to Get Rid of Drywood Termites
• How to Get Rid of Subterranean Termites
• Carpenter Ants vs Termites
• Termite Droppings
• Ants in Walls
• Flying Ants in Pool
• Ants in Carpet
• Bugs That Look Like Termites

References

• Carpenter ants(Carpenter ants)
  https://extension.umn.edu/insects-infest-homes/carpenter-ants
• Termite Infestations(Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Nebraska)
  https://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/resources/termiteinfestations.shtml
• Aphids(Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California)
  ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7404.html#MANAGEMENT
• Fungal symbiosis(Termite Research)
  https://www.esf.edu/efb/turner/termitePages/termiteFungSym.html

Termites are a nightmare for any homeowner, but unfortunately, they are not the only threat posed to your home by tiny creations with wings. In fact, certain types of bugs that look like termites are often responsible for doing just as much (if not more) damage to your property.

If you suspect that you and your family may no longer be the sole inhabitants of your home, it is crucial that you identify the intruding bugs before taking any measures.

Let’s take a closer look at some termite look-alikes and find out how to tell these species apart.

Flying Ants vs Termites

Unlike termites, flying ants do not eat wood. This means that a flying ants infestation is most likely not going to cause serious damage to the structural elements of your home.

Still, seeing tiny bugs with wings in your house is definitely not something you want to experience, especially since flying ants are drawn to food debris.

If the wooden objects in and around your home seem intact, but you’re not yet ready to conclude that the intruders are in fact flying ants and not termites, your best bet is observing the bugs from a close distance.

Both flying ants and termites live in colonies, but their appearance differs in a number of ways, which can help with ant vs termite identification.

Flying ants have rather pronounced waists, so the bottom part of their bodies is noticeably wider than the top one. Termites’ bodies have straight waists with two pairs of clear wings of equal length.

Flying ants sport brownish wings, and the front pair is longer than the back one. Finally, flying ants have bent antennae, as opposed to straight ones found in termites.

Termites vs Carpenter Ants

Termites and carpenter ants may be extremely difficult to tell apart, as they display similar traits and even look quite alike. Still, you can rely on several sure signs to help you identify a carpenter ant infestation as opposed to a termite one.

First of all, there are some differences when it comes to carpenter ant frass vs termite frass comparison. Carpenter ants dispose of their waste during the process of digging the tunnels, while termites have dedicated “kick-out holes” that are repeatedly used to remove dry fecal pellets from their colony. If you see piles of these pellets, your house is most likely infested by termites.

Another telltale sign of a termite infestation are mud tubes. Built by the termites to separate their living quarters (soil) and food (wood), they are not to be found in carpenter ants colonies.

You can also inspect the tunnels in the affected wooden surfaces, as the carpenter ants tunnels tend to be a lot cleaner and smoother than those left by termites.

Finally, there are some visual differences between carpenter ants and termites. The former have a 3-segment body with a distinct waist. Carpenter ants’ wings are about as long as their bodies, while termites have much longer wings.

Termites vs Carpenter Bees

Carpenter bees are pretty easy to tell apart from termites, both due to their differing exteriors and behaviors. Carpenter bees are independent insects that don’t form colonies, even if a number of them choose to live in the same wooden object.

Every carpenter bee makes itself a nest by “drilling” into the chosen wood habitat and eventually creating a rather large funneling hole.

These holes are commonly mistaken for termite “kick-out holes”, but the holes created by termites are usually smaller than 0.1in in diameter. Anything larger than that is highly unlikely to be associated with termite “kick-out holes”.

While termites are usually not very picky when it comes to wood, carpenter bees do have some strong preferences. If your property has any unpainted and otherwise chemically untreated wooden structures, it is definitely a target for carpenter bees. Softwoods such as oak or cypress are particularly attractive to these insects.

Since carpenter bees don’t form colonies, it is not very likely that these insects are going to cause any significant damage to your home.

However, these bright yellow “wood bugs with wings” produce a characteristic buzzing sound when they fly, which often terrifies children and even some adults.

Because of that, many homeowners want to take care of a carpenter bee infestation as soon as possible. Still, it is worth knowing that male carpenter bees don’t have a stinger at all, and female ones are very unlikely to attack humans unless threatened directly.

Termites vs Powderpost Beetles

Powderpost beetles may not be the most termite-looking bugs out there, but they are definitely very similar to termites when it comes to the amount of damage caused. Powderpost beetles love damp wood, so their infestations are most commonly discovered in spring and summer.

They are a lot more destructive than most wood bugs that fly, so it is important to take care of a powderpost beetle infestation as soon as you find it.

Powderpost beetles chew through wood as they build their nests and create tunnels to exit them once they’re done. The larvae found in the nests can produce rather loud clicking sounds, so professional exterminators often use a stethoscope to check for potential powderpost beetle infestations and locate them if any are found.

The tunnels leading to powderpost beetle nests usually contain noticeable amounts of powder that is left behind by the beetles as they process the wood.

It is not uncommon for a homeowner to find their property infested by powderpost beetles after acquiring a piece of wooden furniture or basically any other wooden object containing larvae.

Thus, it is important to be very careful when bringing new wooden items into your home, as powderpost beetles can be a lot more difficult to locate and get rid of than winged bugs that look like termites (such as carpenter ants).

FAQ

Let’s figure out some more termite basic features.

How small are termites?

Termites are quite small insects, similar in size to common ant varieties (which is the primary hurdle to reliably telling these species apart).

Most termites you can encounter in America are in the 0.2-0.6 inch range, although the queens of these species are known to be a lot larger, measuring at up to 4 inches in length.

What color are termites?

Depending on the species, termites can be yellowish, brown, red, or black. Flying termites, also referred to as swarmers, are the most common termite variety encountered by homeowners, and they are highly likely to be either yellow or black.

Do carpenter ants have 2 sets of wings?

Similar to termites, carpenter ants also have 2 sets of wings. However, the ants’ wing pairs differ in size, with the front one being noticeably longer than the back one.

Also Read: Best Termite Bait Stations

Once You’ve Identified Bugs That Look like Termites in Your Home

Knowing the type of insect infesting your property allows you to identify the measures required to get rid of unwanted visitors. Most insects that look like termites can be eliminated with certain chemical products, most of which are freely available for purchase.

Going DIY on a small, recent infestation might be enough, but if you’re dealing with a more serious bug problem, professional exterminators are the way to go.

Did you already have to deal with bugs that look like termites? Do you have any tips you’d like to share or questions you’d like to ask? If so, don’t hesitate to do that in the comments section below.

References:

• Powderpost Beetles (by Michael F. Potter, Extension Entomologist University of Kentucky College of Agriculture):
  https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef616
• Carpenter Bees (C.E. Mall, T.A Horner, N.L. Breisch (retired) and B.L. Thorne (retired), Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD):
  https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/carpenter-bees
• Carpenter ants (University of Minnesota Extension):
  https://extension.umn.edu/insects-infest-homes/carpenter-ants
• Flying Ants (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee):
  https://uwm.edu/field-station/flying-ants/