Termites Vs. Ants

Everyone of us are familiar with ants and termites, they are so commonly found in and around the house that every homeowner needs to deal with them at some point or the other. In comparison to wood eating termites, ants are less destructive, except that they bite and sting. Small mud tubes (round or flat) with approximately ¼ inch diameter in the walls and other wooden structures are an indication of termite infestation. In old damp woods, you can also find termite holes.

Termites and ants are quite similar that many of us fail to distinguish termites from ants. Termites that we see normally are the flying ones that have reproductive ability. The wingless termites are workers and live in dark conditions, such as inside old woods, under furniture, etc. On the other hand, both winged and wingless ants are found in any place, where there is a food source. Read further to find out more on the termites vs. ants debate.

Ants and Termites: An Overview

Similar to bees, both termites and ants are social insects, wherein there are certain groups in a colony. Each group performs specific activities that are different from the others. It is really very difficult to differentiate an ant from a termite, except that the former is usually light-colored and the later is darker in color. Nevertheless, if you observe their physical appearances in minute details, you can notice distinguishing features between the two crawlers, some of which are explained below:

Dwelling Places
Termites basically feed on woods, thus they are found in places where there is abundance of decaying woods. It is also not unusual to find termites in furniture. In the contrary, ants are omnipresent and can feed on any food sources, ranging from fruits, vegetables, food spillage, etc.

Check the Antennae
If possible, compare the antennae of termites and ants. You can clearly see that termites have straight antennae and are present in a beaded nature (like a string of beads or pearls) whereas, the antennae of ants are curved (also called elbowed antennae) and they are present in a continuous line.

Length of Wings
So, you want to know winged termites vs. flying ants? Both these creatures have two pairs of wings. But the difference is that all the four wings of termites are similar in shape and size; whereas the fore-wings of ants are larger than that of the hind wings. Know more on flying ants vs. termites.

Wings Transparency
In termites, the wings are grayish white in color, while in ants, the wings are transparent. Thus, veins present in the wings are clearly visible for ants, which is not so in case of wings of termites. You can see gray tinge in the wings of termites.

Body Segmentation
In termites, body is divided into two parts - head and body; while the body of ants comprises three distinct parts - head, thorax and body. Termites have a broad waist, while the waist of all types of ants is slender at the point, where it joins the thorax.

Position of Legs
The legs of termites are shorter in length as compared to that of ants. Also, in ants the three pairs of legs are attached in the thoracic region; whereas in termites, they are equally distributed throughout the body length.

Carpenter ants are large species and often confused with termites. The pinched waist and elbowed antennae are used to explain termites vs. carpenter ants. Unlike termites, carpenter ants rarely swarm in groups. In addition, termites undergo gradual metamorphosis, while it is complete metamorphosis in ants. With this information on termites vs. ants, I hope you can easily identify these insects, next time you see them in your house. Watch the signs of termite infestation and follow effective remedies to control them, before they cause much damage to the house.