Termites And Ants Difference

If you are venturing into the termite removal business or if you just deal with these pests on a day to day basis, then it’s important to learn how to identify termites and ants so that you’re not sending a technician out when there is no actual infestation. You need to know the basic facts of both ants and termites. If your home or office is being invaded by insects, finding out which one you have is crucial in order to exterminate them properly. There is a lot of confusion when it comes to ants and termites. People think they are the same thing because they live in colonies and have different roles in the colony. Flying termites, also called termite swarmers or flying ants, are winged reproductive forms of the Subterranean Termite or “Rhinotermitidae” family. In an interesting turn of events, many homeowners — especially those in the southern states and in warmer mountain regions — call these pests flying ants.Real flying termites are called alates, and they are typically a copper brown color.  Alates do most of the work of reproducing and building new colonies. Hawaiian termite alates are probably the best known for leaving their home colony for mating purposes. In reality, ants and termites are not all that similar. Even though both bugs cause damage to your home, it is important to know which one you have. This knowledge will greatly help in making things easier for you on getting rid of them. Termites and ants are very similar in shape and size, which makes them really hard to tell apart. The two are often mistaken for one another by homeowners, which is why we decided to research the different between termite and ant to shed some light on this topic. We are going to explain differences between these two pests, such as termite and ant range, diet, damage, elimination methods and so on.

Termites And Ants Difference

Introduction

Whether or not you’ve had an infestation, you should know the difference between termites and ants. Although they are both part of the order Hymenoptera, which also includes bees, they have their own distinguishing characteristics. For example, while both live in colonies (or as they are called in termite land, nests), ants do not have wings while termites do. Ants can bite and sting while termites may be less noticeable since they eat wood and walls. Both have similar body types with jointed limbs and antennae but termites do not have a constricted waistline such as ants do. They both love to eat cellulose from plants but this is where the similarities end! Because these two insects are so different from each other it’s important to know how to tell them apart so that if you encounter them on your property you will know which species it is.

Termites and ants are both part of the order Hymenoptera, which also includes bees.

Termites and ants are both in the order Hymenoptera, which also includes bees.

Ants live in colonies but termite colonies are called nests.

Termites and ants are both insects that live in colonies. However, termites live in nests while ants live in colonies or nests. Ants also have hives but termites do not.

In addition to being a nest for the colony of termites, a colony is where they build their homes and create tunnels. They can also use existing structures (such as trees) as their homes if the structure is hollow enough for them to establish themselves inside it.

They are similar in that they both have social classes within their colonies.

Both termites and ants have social classes within their colonies. Termites are made up of workers, soldiers and reproductives. Workers are responsible for finding food and caring for the young, as well as building tunnels and mounds. Soldiers defend against predators by biting or stinging them with a specialized organ called an acidopore (an opening in the exoskeleton through which a defensive secretion is emitted). The third caste is reproductive–which includes winged males (called alates) and winged females (called alate queens). Ants are also divided into distinct castes: workers and queens. The only members who can reproduce are queen ants; worker ants cannot lay eggs but do all other tasks necessary to maintain the colony’s survival such as feeding larvae, collecting food etc..

Both live in groups, but termites eat cellulose from plants and don’t bother humans much.

Both termites and ants live in groups, but termites eat cellulose from plants and don’t bother humans much. Termites are less aggressive than ants, so they generally do not sting or bite people. They also don’t bother to carry food back to the nest (as ants do), so you might never realize you’ve got them in your house.

Ants can bite and sting while termites may be less noticeable since they eat wood and walls.

• Ants can bite and sting while termites may be less noticeable since they eat wood and walls.
• Termites are more likely to be unnoticed because they feed on wood, whereas ants prefer sugar and other things.
• Ants tend to be more aggressive than termites, which makes them more likely to be noticed by humans.

Termites have wings while ants do not.

Ants do not have wings, but termites do. It’s important to know this because it helps you tell a termite from an ant.

Termites and ants are very similar critters (they belong to the same order of insects), but there are some differences between them that can be useful in identifying them. One of these differences is that ants have six legs while termites have eight legs. Termites also differ from ants in their food preferences: while both feed on plant matter and other parts of plants, only termites eat wood whereas most species of ants prefer pre-digested bits such as fruits, dead insects or excrement (yes!).

They both have similar body types with jointed limbs and antennae.

Both termites and ants have similar body types with jointed limbs and antennae. The antennae are used to smell, feel, hear, taste, and see. Antennae are also used to communicate with other members of their colony.

However, termites do not have a constricted waistline such as ants do.

However, termites do not have a constricted waistline such as ants do. They have a constricted waistline because they have a gut. Ants, on the other hand, have a constricted waistline because they have a digestive system.

Termites love moisture while ants hate it.

Since termites need moisture to survive, they build nests near water sources. Termites use mud and other materials to create their nests so that they can stay dry when there is no water present. Ants are not attracted to moisture and will avoid building their colonies near any kind of water source or moisture barrier.

Termites eat wood but ants do not. Because of this difference in diet, termites can damage your home’s structure while ants cannot do the same damage because they do not eat wood as food sources for their colony or for themselves.

It is good to know the difference between termites and ants so you can prevent infestations

Termites and ants can cause serious damage to your home. It is important to know the difference between termites and ants so you can prevent infestations in your home. Termites eat wood and are known for eating through walls and floors, causing structural damage. Ants also eat wood but unlike termites, ants do not cause structural damage. Termites will eat electrical wires which can cause a fire hazard in your house if left unchecked long enough. Termites are more destructive than ants because they are looking for food while they search for water sources so they can nest in your home during the summer months when there’s no moisture outside of homes due to drought conditions etc…

Conclusion

Termites and ants may look similar but they are very different pests. Remember that termites eat cellulose and do not bother humans while ants do bite or sting people. Because they have different body types, you can usually tell them apart by looking at their waistlines to see if there is any constriction. This will help you identify if your home has a problem with either one of these insects.