Ants or Termites?

It’s a common question that we receive.

How do you know if the winged bugs in your home or backyard are termites or ants? To the untrained eye, they're hard to tell apart. The information we provide below may help, but if you are still unsure, call us and one of our technicians will come to your house and identify your winged visitors with no cost to you and no further obligation.

Are These Ants or Termites?

This can be a very troublesome question. Some of the flying winged ants can resemble the winged-swarming termite. Here are some ways do identify the difference between the physical resemblance.

1. While both species have four wings, the termite wings are all the same size and the ant wings have noticeably larger wings in the front as compared to the hind pair.
2. Termites have an almost straight antennae, the ants antennae are elbowed.
3. Termite wings are twice as long as the body.
4. Ants appear distinctly segmented, because of
   their thin waisted appearance. Termites have a broad-waisted appearance.
5. Carpenter ants can be much larger, up to one inch in length.

What to do?

Once you've identified your winged visitors, what is the next step?

Because each case is different we recommend having an expert visit your home and assess the situation to make the appropriate recommendations. There truly is no one size fits all solution and there are generally several factors to consider.

Removing the invaders is only part of the solution. We also want to ensure they never return and that any damage they have caused is completely repaired. Recommendations offered may include structural modifications, alterations to the surrounding environment, sanitation changes, and the use of state-of-the-art materials to eliminate and prevent the return of ants or termites inside the home.

Termites

Subterranean Termites

·  Termites have been around for more than 250 million years, since the dinosaurs, when all they did was devour trees in forests.
·  Today, termites eat away at homes to the tune of more than $5 billion per year in property damage to more than 600.000 homes in the United States.
·  A queen termite can live up to 25 years, laying up to 60.000 eggs in her lifetime.
·  Termites will travel up to 250 feet from their nests.
·  Research shows that termites work 24 hours per day.

Termites tunnel from their home in the soil in a constant search for wood to eat. But they can't tell the difference between a dead tree and your house. If they come across your home's foundation while foraging, they'll follow any cracks or crevices into your home. They may even enter through wood in contact with the soil or by building pencil-sized mud tunnels from ground level to where the house's wood frame begins.

Termites can also enter your home through expansion joints, and utility and plumbing openings in the foundation. And they are small – all they need is an opening 1/32-inch wide to squeeze into your home.

Chances are, you won't actually see termites or a termite swarm, which lasts less than an hour. More likely, you'll see evidence of swarming – sudden appearance of winged termites; piles of small, lacey wings; or mud tunnels termites build.

Under ideal conditions, a typical termite colony with 250,000 workers can eat about 20 feet of a 2 x 4 board per year. If you find evidence of an infestation, there's no need to panic. It's unlikely the damage will get much worse from the time you first discover termites to the time your home is treated. Still, stopping the destruction sooner rather than later is important to avoid costly damage and repairs.

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants get their name because they excavate wood in order to build their nests. They play an important and beneficial role in breaking down rotting wood debris in our forests. It is only when they invade your home that carpenter ants become a serious problem.

Carpenter ants are random foragers who migrate from primary nests established outdoors. They can invade your home through just about any small crack or opening to look for food and establish new nesting locations.

Removing carpenter ants typically involves using a delayed action bait and allowing the ants to transfer it back to their colony. There it can affect a greater number to eventually eliminate the colony all together.

Keeping carpenter ants from re-infesting your home may include structural modifications, alterations to the surrounding environment, sanitation changes, and the use of state-of-the-art materials to deter further nesting.