What Do Termites Look Like?
by Travis
Termites are the most wood destroying pests in the United States. They can be dangerous for your property and inflect serious damage to wood. Being able to identify a termite is an important part of implementing proper termite control.
A common practice of misidentification occurs when a person mistakes an ant for a termite. Let’s begin by noticing some key differences between these two insects.
First, a termite reproductive goes through the normal insect cycle of egg, nymph and adult – much like humans start as a baby, progress to a teenager and end being an adult. However, ants will start off as an egg, turn into larvae, then a pupa and finally the adult stage.
Another important distinction occurs between the wings of these different species. Both ants and termites have four wings, but termite wings are the same size, whereas ants will have the front wings larger than the back. A quick way to tell if you have termites is to see if there are a lot of leftover wings from a swarm of insects. Termite wings tend to fall off fairly easy, so this is a sure sign that there could be a problem.
There are a few other distinctions to help a person identify a termite. The antennae of termites look almost straight – ants tend to have a slight elbow, or bend. The wings of a termite are also about twice as long as their bodies. The torsos of ants tend to be more narrow and segmented than that of a termite. If you notice any black dots on the wings of the insect, then it is most likely an ant rather than a termite.
If any of these signs are indicative of a termite then it is important that you seek proper professional help before this infestation becomes harmful. There are many treatment options for getting rid of termites. Now that you know what termites look like, you are prepared to eradicate them.
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