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The sight of flying ants in and around the home alarms most people. Contrary to popular belief, flying ants are not always a sign of termites or termite infestations in a home.
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.
We have all seen ants in our lifetime. Ants can be found indoors, outdoors, on plants, in our lawns and in flower or vegetable garden. There are many different species of ants in the United States but they all have one thing in common: the classic head, abdomen , thorax sections of their body. If you find winged insects in or around your home and want to make sure that they are not termites, pull back their wings and look closely at the body parts. If the bug you inspect looks like an ant, it is usually an ant. If it does not have three visible body parts but does have a head and a long body, it is probably a termite. Compare the body parts shown in the ant versus termite picture below.
Another identifying characteristic that separates winged ants from winged termites is the antennae. 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. These differences are illustrated in the ant / termite image.
The different sections of an ant's antennae are often important to those involved in inspection and treatment of homes and lawns for ant infestations. The number of sections, size of club (and even absence of a club) are all important factors in the identification of the invading ant pest.
The termite swarmer has four wings, as does the swarming ant. The difference lies in the length of the wings. When the wings of either flying insect are folded (in a resting position or when found dead) and appear to be two wings of the same or equal length. Closer inspection reveals the true evidence. When you gently spread out the wings you will find that there are now four wings, instead of two as noted in the termite and ant picture shown below. 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. The front wings (those that are visible when the wings are not spread) are longer than the rear wings. When at rest, the front wings are folded over so that the rear set of wings are not visible.
The three main points to consider are the number of main body parts, shape of antennae and length of wings. With this picture you can easily tell the difference between flying ants and flying termites or swarmers.
Winged Termites Found in Home
If you have inspected the flying insect and determined that it is indeed a termite your next question is obviously "What do I do now?"
We have many customers visit our showroom and store in Pensacola who bring bags or vials containing an insect that they want identified. They usually want to know if they have ants or termites. When we see that they are termites, we have a few questions that we put to our customers:
Where did you find the termites? Were they found inside of the home or on the exterior surface of the home? If found indoors, which rooms were involved? How many winged termites were found?
Termite swarmers found on the exterior surfaces of the home could have merely landed on the sides of the home as the wind blew them in the direction of the house. If this is the case, there is not too much to worry about. If, however, the swarmers were observed flying out of the structure from around windows, doors, garage doors, bay windows, porch columns or other wood members or openings then there might be some concerns.
It is not unusual for termites to land on a house. They (termite swarmers) are not the best of flyers but the winds can carry them quite a distance. (The Formosan Termite is an exception to this rule. The Formosan Termite is capable of better, more aggressive, sustained flight than other subterranean termites.) If the pests swarmed from a nearby tree limb, neighbor's home or any other such object, this does not always mean that your house is in danger.
What you need to determine is if the termites swarmed to your house or from your house. Swarming from your house would indicate a possible termite infestation that should be taken care of as soon as possible. Swarmers that just landed on the exterior surface of your home mean just that - they happened to land on your home.
When these insects land on your home you must remember that a termite swarmer cannot harm you. A termite swarmer is designed for propagation of the species, not to eat wood. The worker termite (the one that resembles a small, white ant) eats eat and does extensive damage to buildings. Once a female subterranean termite swarmer has successfully mated, she must burrow into the soil in a very short time period. Of the multitude of swarmers seen, only one in every thousand has a chance of being successful. Ants and other insects as well as reptiles, birds and even the elements all take their toll on the swarmers. If the mated female makes it past all of her natural enemies, she must also make it to the safety of the soil. If she lands in areas where she cannot make it to the protection of the soil, she will die.
In short, if a termite swarmer lands on the exterior surface of your home it does not mean that you have a termite problem.
Locating flying termites inside of your home is not the most reassuring sight. There are cases that look better than others. If only a couple of swarmers are found indoors, they could have easily hitch-hiked indoors on someone's shirt or sweater or they could have merely flown through an open door or window. These pests have even been found crawling through bathroom and kitchen vents.
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.
We have many frantic phone calls from customers that want to purchase an insecticide to kill the flying termites in their home. As noted above, this is not necessary since the swarmers do not feed on your home. They are a signal that there is a colony in or beneath the structure which means that the home needs to be inspected and possibly treated by a professional that is licensed for termite treatment.
Swarming or flying termites often are seen near garage doors, other door or window frames (especially bay windows), columns supporting porches, dirt-filled porches and any expansion joints. An expansion joint is any area where two or more sections of a home are joined such as where a garage or patio is connected to a house.
If possible, sweep up the indoor swarmers and save them for your pest control operator. The number of swarmers as well their their location can be valuable evidence needed by the technician who will inspect the structure. A thorough inspection will determine the severity of the problem and what (if any) treatments are necessary.
This can be a very troublesome question. Some of the flying winged ants can resemble the winged-swarming termite.
The swarming of small, dark insects near or inside a building may worry people who believe their home is infested by termites.
There is a difference between ant and termite reproductives(swarmers).
Termites go through a gradual metamorphosis
Termites go through the egg, nymph and adult stages.
Nymphs look like adult workers. Reproductives are dark-bodied.
Ants will go from a egg, to a larvae, then pupa and finally to the adult stage in what is called complete metamorphosis. The adult ant worker is an adult and looks like an adult ant.
Here are some ways do identify the difference between the physical resemblance.
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. Ant reproductives (swarmers)have two pairs of wings.Often ants have a black dot near the tip of the front wings, and dark wing veins can be seen. You can't see termite wing veins with the naked eye. Ant wings do not break off easily. Termite wings break off easily, with just a touch. You may see the broken wings from the swarming termites in a area they have been crawling.
Termites have an almost straight antennae, the ants antennae are elbowed.
Termite wings are twice as long as the body.
Ants appear distinctly segmented, because of their thin-waisted appearance.
Termites have a broad-waisted appearance.
Termite waists are not narrow.
Termite bodies are straight-sided with no constriction.
Carpenter ants are black or brown and measure up to 1" in length. They are often confused with termites. Unlike termites they have pinched waists and elbowed antennae. Termites have straight bodies and antennae. As with termites, there is a winged version too.
Carpenter ants can do significant structural damage, but are more a nuisance than a structural problem.
Investigation:
There are several ways to recognize a carpenter ant infestation:
Swarmers: Winged form of the carpenter ant in a great number
Sawdust: If you see sawdust(frass) raining from your ceiling or from any indoor cracks.
If you see more than 10 ants a day in any room other than the kitchen.
If you see ants in your home and the ground outside is frozen.
Crunching Noise: If you hear munching, rustling or crunching noise coming from within a window sill, wall or ceiling.
