Are These Termites or Ants?
You’ve found large numbers of insects flying about the house, or perhaps you have noticed an accumulation of dead insects on the floor or on a windowsill. Are these termite swarmers or ants? This is an important question. f they are termite swarmers, it means the building is infested with termites and needs to be professionally treated. Depending on the size of the building, that’s going to cost around a thousand dollars or more. If they are ants, some type of treatment may still be needed, but you may be able to do it yourself, and even if you hire a pest control company, it won’t be nearly as costly.
So how do you distinguish termite swarmers from ant swarmers? This is really pretty easy, but it can help to have some type of magnifying glass or hand lens. This figure shows the three key characteristics to look for:
How to Distinguish Termite Swarmers from Ant Swarmers
Trait |
Termites |
Ants |
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Wings |
Front wings and hind wings equal in length Wings about twice as long as body (Wings may be missing.) |
Front wings notably longer than hind wings (Wings may be missing) |
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Antennae |
Antennae straight and beadlike |
Antennae have a distinct elbow or angle |
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“Waist” |
No waist, abdomen broadly joined to thorax |
Narrow waist, abdomen narrowly joined to thorax |
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Notes:
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Compare the following pictures of termite swarmers to those of ant swarmers.
Hover and then click on the left or right arrows to progress through the slide show.
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This is an Eastern subterranean termite swarmer. Note the long wings, with both pairs of equal length, and the straight, beadlike antennae.
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Formosan subterranean termite swarmer. Note all four wings are equal in length.
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Eastern subterranean termite swarmers after shedding wings. Note the broad waist and the straight, beadlike antennae.
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Dead eastern subterranean termite swarmers lying on a windowsill. Note that some have already shed their wings.
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Accumulation of dead eastern subterranean swarmers on carpet. These were behind a couch and were discovered when the couch was moved. The swarm had occurred several weeks earlier, but was not noticed then.
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Black carpenter ant swarmer. Note the narrow waist and that the hind wing is shorter than the forewing.
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Chestnut carpenter ant swarmer. Note the elbowed antennae and narrow waist.
Dr. Blake Layton, Extension Entomology Specialist
Department of Entomology, Mississippi State University
Phone: 662-325-2960
Email: blake.layton@msstate.edu
Publications
News
The word “termite” strikes fear in the hearts of homeowners because this insect is the most economically damaging pest in Mississippi, is very common and requires constant vigilance. Blake Layton, entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the cost of termites is so large that it is hard to pin down.
Can you tell the difference between a termite and an ant? Termites and ants share a number of similar physical characteristics, and it can be hard to distinguish between the two at first glance. Since termites can be active long before they are properly identified, mistaking them for ants could be a costly error!
Termites are probably not something you consider when you are gardening. But many landscaping tasks, including digging and mulching, can put your home at risk for termite damage. (Photo by Blake Layton)
Mississippi has an abundance of bugs, especially in the warmer months. We are all familiar with mosquitoes, bumblebees, and house flies. But I bet there are bugs around your house and yard that you can’t identify. (Photo by Blake Layton)
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Officials with the Mississippi State University Extension Service broke ground on a termite application training facility alongside pest control industry sponsors during a ceremony April 6.
The Termite Technician Training Facility, or T3F, will be located near the Mississippi Horse Park in Starkville and is scheduled to be completed in early 2019.
Success Stories
A dream of the Mississippi Pest Control Association and the Mississippi State University Extension Service is coming true after more than 20 years, thanks to a generous donation by one of Mississippi’s oldest pest-control companies.
