subject: Are They Ants Or Termites? [print this page] Are They Ants Or Termites? Are They Ants Or Termites?
The first warm day after a long winter often brings swarms of insects such as ants and termites. If you have seen a small winged creature flying around your home, you should not immediately jump to the conclusion that you have a termite infestation. It is actually relatively difficult to tell the difference between a flying termite and a flying ant, because they are so small. However, have a little bit of knowledge about what the two look like and how they differ will help you identify whether or not you need to termite-proof your home. Identifying between the two will require you to get a closer look at the little flying insect. In order to get a closer look at the flying insect, you will need to catch it without squishing it. The best way to do this is to turn off all of your lights at night except for one. The ants or termites will fly towards the light. Then, place a small bowl of water under the light. They will fly in the direction of the water when they see the light's reflection. Once they hit the water they will be trapped and you can get a closer look. You may want to use a magnifying glass if you have poor eyesight, because the insects are small and you will need to be able to distinguish between body parts in order to tell the different between flying ants and flying termites. The first main difference between flying ants and flying termites are their antennae. If you caught a little flying ant in your bowl, the antennae will be in a bent shape. If you take a close look at the antennae and they are in the shape of the letter "L", you probably have a flying ant. However, if the antennae are almost completely straight, it is safe to assume you have flying termites in your home. The antennae on an ant and a termite have a beaded look to them, which is more exaggerated on the antennae of a termite. The next thing you should examine is the insect's body. Although both ants and termites have bodies that are divided into three parts, they vary in shape. An ant's body is thinner in the middle whereas termites have a consistent width in their body. Color will not tell you anything because different species have different colors. Wings will also help you determine the difference between these two insects. All of the termite's wings are one length, whereas the ant has a few long wings and a few short wings.
