How To Tell Ants From Termites

Ants and termites are both insects, but they are very different. However, people often confuse them. Some people will also use termites as a name for ants. But is there a real difference between the two? Are ants just big versions of termites or is something else going on? Let’s try to find out whether there is a difference between ants and termites.

How To Tell Ants From Termites

How are termites and ants different? Are they different at all? The answer isn’t cut and dry, but there are some general differences between these two insects. While termites spend their days eating wood, ants live on nutrients from plants, vegetation, and animal products. Heck, ants are even known for carrying food back to the colony for other members of their group.

If you ever see small traveling groups of insects in your house you may be confused to whether they are termites or ants. Don’t worry, ants and termites both like to share homes with us and can become a real problem if left alone. If these little critters have made themselves at home in your property it is important to identify them correctly by telling them apart from each other.

How To Tell Ants From Termites

How to Tell Ants From Termites

Ants and termites are both insects, but they look different and behave differently. An ant colony has a queen and workers, while termite colonies have kings and workers. Both ants and termites live in colonies, but a termite colony can be much larger than an ant colony.

Ants are social insects that grow in colonies consisting of a queen, winged males called drones and wingless females called workers. The queen lays eggs which hatch into larvae (babies) that develop into adults that perform the tasks required for survival of the colony. They eat food such as sugar water, honeydew from aphids or other insects or decaying organic matter. Ants do not eat wood like termites do; however, they do consume it when it is dampened by rainwater or dew from tree leaves or other surfaces where it collects on them.

Termites are social insects that live in colonies consisting of kings (fathers), queens (mothers), soldiers and workers. All members of the colony help raise young ones through a process known as “fungus farming” which involves collecting dead plant material such as logs or branches using their sharp jaws called mandibles

Ants are one of the most common pests in your home. Ants are very active, and many ants will be found crawling around your home looking for food. Ants can be black, red or brown in color and may have wings. Termites are another type of pest that can cause damage to your home. Termites are not as active as ants, but they are known for feeding on wood which can cause damage to your home if left untreated.

The best way to tell the difference between ants and termites is by identifying their body parts. Ants have three body parts: head, thorax and abdomen. They also have antennae on their heads that look like thin hairs. Termites only have two body parts: head and abdomen (which looks more like a tube). There is no antennae on termite’s heads because termite’s heads do not have eyes like ants do.

How To Tell Ants From Termites

Two Damaging Insects

Carpenter ants (Camponotus) and termites (Isoptera) share several similarities, not the least of which, is that they both are notorious for causing wood damage in homes. Outside of wing size during reproduction, termites are roughly the same size as the many species of large ants that fall into the carpenter ant group; and like carpenter ants, termites burrow into wood, making them the enemy of your home’s wood frame. And because both carpenter ants and termites swarm in the springtime to mate, they are often confused for one another by homeowners spotting the swarms.1

Physical Differences

A closer look at the insect in question will reveal significant physical differences that make it easy to identify a termite versus a carpenter ant. Take a close look at the insect with a magnifying glass or even shine a bright light on the bug and you can use the naked eye.

• Body shape: If you look at the insect’s body shape, take a good look at the abdomen area. A termite has no “waist,” instead, its body is more rectangular, without any narrowing in the center. In contrast, the carpenter ant has a very well-defined narrow, constricted waist.
• Antennae: An insect’s feelers can say a lot about the insect, too. A termite has straight, beaded antennae, meanwhile, a carpenter ant’s antennae are bent or “elbowed.”
• Wings: Both insects are winged creatures and each has four wings. You’d think, well, that’s not helpful, but honestly this characteristic is actually one of the better differentiating characteristics. A termite has wings that are of equal size and shape and its wings are much longer than its body. A carpenter ant’s back, hind wings are shorter than its front forewings and the wings do not look unusually long or disproportionate to its body. Another thing with termites is that their wings are not as durable as ants. The wings of the termite fall off easily. The loose wings can often be seen near the opening of a termite nest and can be used to identify a termite infestation.
• Color: Ant workers are reddish or dark-colored and are frequently seen in the open foraging for food. Termite workers, by comparison, are transparent, light or creamy white in color, and they avoid light. Termites are rarely noticed unless their nest is disturbed.1

Behavioral Differences

The way that the two insects interact with wood is different. For example, termites eat the wood in which they nest. Carpenter ants merely dig into the wood to excavate their nests; they do not eat the wood but simply push it out through openings of the galleries of their colonies. So, if you see small piles of wood shavings or frass (insect waste) below the holes, it helps to identify an infestation of carpenter ants. Carpenter ants seek out moist and damaged wood in which to excavate their nests; termites will chew right into the healthy wood.2

Another obvious difference is the way the wood tunnels look. The tunnels and galleries of the carpenter ants will be very smooth and finished; termite galleries, by comparison, are rough and ragged because they are filled with layers of soil and mud.

Lastly, do you notice any mud tubes? A mud tube indicates the definite presence or previous presence of termites. These are tubes built on the outside of walls or between the soil and wood and serve as the passageways through which the termites travel.

List Of How To Tell Ants From Termites