Feature: Carpenter Ants or Termites?

Carpenter ants and termites are often confused for one another.  It is important to know which one you have, as each type of pest causes a different set of issues. 

You can find out if you have termites or carpenter ants by examining:

• Their bodies
• Their social behavior
• The type of damage they cause

After you find out which type of pest you have, you can then look into control options.

Bodies

Winged termites and carpenter ants have two sets of wings.  Termites’ wings are the same size, while carpenter ants have larger wings in front.  Carpenter ants are also darker in color than termites are, and have narrow waists and bent antennas.  Termites do not have a visible waist and their antennas are straight.

Behavior

You are much more likely to see a carpenter ant than you are to see a termite.  Termites tend to avoid light, and they spend their time in their colonies.  Ants, on the other hand, will venture out and explore.  They will also look for food.  They typically eat aphid honeydew and tree sap.

Damage

Carpenter ants and termites also destroy homes differently.  Termites feed off a home’s wood.  Carpenter ants destroy the wood in order to dig tunnels.  They are not eating the wood, but they can still do an incredible amount of damage to it.

Control

The best way to control carpenter ants is to destroy their nests.  Unfortunately, this can be a difficult task.  However, it is not impossible.  As mentioned earlier, carpenter ants leave the nest to go out and explore.  This gives people a chance to track ants back to their nests.  Give ants some honey and watch them as they take it back to the nest.  Then, you will be able to find the source of the infestation and eliminate the nest. Do not make the mistake of spraying a single ant.  Killing one ant will not help you control carpenter ants.  Instead, use them for tracking purposes so you can find the nest.

While carpenter ants can be eliminated once the nest is found, termites are much more difficult to eliminate.  People should contact a pest control professional at the first sight of termite damage.  That way, the termites can be removed quickly. Termites and carpenter ants can both cause damage to homes.  However, it is important to understand their different habits.  By understanding pests, you can make the right pest control decision.