Termite vs Flying Ant

It can be hard to tell apart flying ants and termites. If you’ve found flying ants in your home in Albuquerque NM, they are probably a certain type of carpenter ant. Like termites, carpenter ants are wood-destroying insects that can cause significant damage to the structures of our homes. However, it’s important to know whether you’re dealing with carpenter ants or termites so that proper pest control measures can be taken. If you need help learning the difference between termites and carpenter ants, read on for tips from the Pest Defense Solutions technicians!

Are These Insects Termites or Ants with Wings?

The first step to controlling wood-boring pests is being able to tell the differences between the ones living in Albuquerque NM. Here’s how you can tell apart termites and winged ants:

• Bodies: Carpenter ants are larger and display more pronounced features than termites. They have a tapered-in waist, longer antennae, and two long pairs of wings, each of different sizes.
• Prominence: Although you could easily have either insect species in your home, termites are less likely to show themselves. Because they eat wood and nest underground, termites have no reason to not be either in your yard or in your walls, unless they’re swarming. Carpenter ants only nest in wood, preferring to eat plants and tiny insects, so they’re out and about more often.

Carpenter Ant Damage vs Termite Damage

You can also tell the difference between termites and carpenter ants based on the damage that they cause. Carpenter ants are on the lookout for decayed wood that they can work through to find sound wood. It can be difficult to tell if your wood is decaying from the outside in some cases, but finding a bunch of ants at a specific location around the exterior of your home is a bad sign.

Termites, on the other hand, eat the cellulose found in the wood, tunneling through it in the process and creating a torn and striated appearance. They nest underground and build tunnels towards the closest source of healthy wood to have easy food access. If you have subterranean termites in your home, you’ll probably find mud tubes protruding from your yard, linking up with siding, porches, doorways, basement windows, and other entry points to your home.

Professional Pest Control for Termites vs Ants

If you have termites or carpenter ants, you’re going to need help to get rid of them! The best defense against a wood-destroying insect infestation is an inspection routine conducted by a professional pest control company. Our termite exterminators are trained to complete thorough inspections, protecting homeowners and business owners from termites and any other pests found along the way. Contact us today to learn more!