Knox Pest Control

Difference Between Ants and Termites

At first glance they may look alike!

Termites do indeed spread their species by swarming (sending winged reproductives out of the colony) but so do many species of ants.  There are simple ways to inspect the insects to determine whether they are ants with wings or termites with wings.The easiest way to tell the difference between the two is to inspect the body parts of the insect, which can be done without the use of a microscope or field glass in most cases.  Termites have two visible body parts: a head and a body.  All ants have three distinct body parts: head, abdomen and thorax.  In other words, the ant's body is separated into two body parts.

 

All ants have antennae that have a fairly severe bend or "elbow" but termite antennae to not have this sharp bend.  A termite's antennae are beaded, an ant's antennae have segments that sometimes end in small club. 

 

An ant swarmer and a termite swarmer both have 2 pairs or 2 sets of wings.  The wings of a swarming termite are all the same length.  The wings of a swarming ant are different. 

 

If large numbers of swarmers are found indoors, you need to have something done about it.  One or two swarmers can be a coincidence but large numbers is definitely a sign that there is a colony in or underneath the structure.