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Q: I notice some insects that look like ants in my house. However, they have different properties and I wonder if they are possibly termites. What do termites look like so I can better identify them?
A: There are at least 2,000 different species of termites worldwide, many of which live in colonies in the ground. Thousands could be in any house at this moment. About 40 species are active in the United States.
Termites can cause extreme damage to property when settling in a home or business. This phenomenon, known as termite infestation, occurs when termites infiltrate a property and feed on cellulosic material such as wood.
Termites can look like carpenter ants because reproductive termites can have similar wings and body structures. This is what termites look like and how to distinguish them from other insects.
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Termites are usually between ¼ and ½ inch long.
Photo: istockphoto.com
There are several different termites, but the most common are usually between ¼ and ½ inch long. Subterranean termites are widespread in the United States and are smaller than other species of termites, growing to only ¼ of an inch. However, they have larger colonies than other termite species.
Drywood termites typically live in warm, tropical climates such as California, Florida, and Hawaii. These termites are between ⅜ and ½ inches long. Formosa termites are mainly found in the southeastern United States and Hawaii. They easily exceed the colony size of any other termite species in North America, with millions of termites in one colony. Formosa termites are typically ½ to ⅗ inches long.
Termites have soft bodies and straight antennae.
There are some discrepancies between ants and termites in the insect’s body. Termites have soft bodies with a pronounced, hard head region with strong mandibles (the appendages on the insect’s jaw). Their heads are attached with straight antennae, usually with pearls. Flying ants, on the other hand, have curved antennae.
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While termites’ bodies are thick, ants have a more defined waistline between their rib cage and abdomen. Termites also have a blunt end on their belly, while ants can have a sharp end that they use to defend themselves. Termite’s wings are also of the same length and are usually white or transparent. Flying ants have longer wings in the front and shorter wings in the back.
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Their color ranges from cream to reddish brown.
The color of a termite depends on its species and caste. Underground workers and soldiers have pale or cream colored bodies; However, workers have a larger head, which can be orange or amber in color. Underground reproductive termites have dark bodies.
Dry woodworker termites also have whitish bodies. Drywood soldier termites have opaque bodies and a larger orange or brown head. Reproductive termites made from dry wood have gray wings with dark brown bodies and amber colored heads.
Formosa worker termites are the same whitish color as underground and drywood worker termites. Formosan soldier termites also resemble subterranean termites with white bodies and large orange heads. Your reproductive termites range from a pale color to a yellowish tinted brown.
There are three different castes: workers, soldiers, and alates.
Termites have three different castes in their colony, each with its own purpose. The alates are reproductive termites that leave the colony to mate and look for a new nesting site. The male and female reproductive termites mate each pair to leave the colony, usually during the rainy season. After finding a new place, they shed their wings and either colonize the earth (subterranean termites) or build a nest with wood (drywood termites). They then form new colonies within these areas.
Workers make up the majority of the termites in a colony. When you expose infested wood, these are the termites you will see. They have soft bodies with no wings or eyes. Since they are not part of the reproductive caste, they are sterile. The younger workers look after the young, while the older workers build and dig the nest, dig tunnels, and look for food.
Soldier termites primarily protect the colony and attack predators. How they defend themselves and what their bodies and mandibles look like depend on the species. They rely on the workers for their food sources. The soldier caste is usually smaller than the other castes.
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Termites will eat wood so they won’t look for your food.
While ants are known to forage in homes and eat sources of protein, candy, and leftover food, termites are only interested in cellulose-based sources, including plants, wood, and paper. However, this also means that termites can build nests in the walls of a house where they can do a lot of damage. They mainly enter through these structural points of the house and collect building materials, insulation and furniture for food.
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If you suspect termite damage, create a plan to correct the problem.
There are several ways to determine if there is termite damage to a property. Termites often make a clicking sound that can be heard through walls, or homeowners can find loose wings. Termite droppings called frass can also be pushed into the open area to clean up the nests.
By tapping the walls, homeowners can also see if there is a hollow sound, meaning termites may have already eaten a large portion of the inside of the wall.
If any of the above sounds like your situation, you may have a termite infestation. It is important to contact and hire a professional as soon as possible to stop the infestation and reduce any damage to the house that has already occurred.
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