There are a few pests that go above and beyond irritation; they cause serious damage to your home. Termites are probably the most commonly known structure damaging insects with carpenter ants right there on their tail. In fact, not only do both of these pests ruin your home, they look a whole lot like each other as well. It can be difficult to differentiate between the two when you don’t know what you are looking for. A-Tex Pest Management is here to talk about the differences between carpenter ants and termites.
The difference in Behavior Between Carpenter Ants & Termites
While these pests look a lot like each other, their habits are very different from each other. Termites need to eat wood to survive. It is their entire diet. Carpenter ants will build their nests in wood, but will not eat it at all. Because of this, the damage caused by termites is often much more severe than that of carpenter ants. The damage happens much quicker with termites. Carpenter ants can still cause extensive damage to your home if you don’t catch them early.
What Do Carpenter Ants & Termites Look Like?
There are a lot of things about the way that carpenter ants and termites look that make them seem similar. If you look closely though, there are actually several things about them that are quite different. Following are some of the most distinct differences:
– Insect Wings: Both of these insects have two sets of wings. It’s the way that these wings look that make the difference. Carpenter ants have two sets of wings that are of different sizes. Termites wings are both the same size. This can be hard to see when they are actively flying, but when they are sitting still, the difference is there. Another thing worth noting is that termites will chew away their wings shortly after establishing their colony. Ants keep theirs.
– Insect Antennae: Another difference between these two insects is their antennae. Termites have antennae that are straight and long; while the carpenter ants have an elbow in their antennae and they are shorter.
– Insect Body: This difference is by far the easiest one to spot if you aren’t a professional. Termites and ants have a very different body. Ants will have a body that is segmented into three different sections: a head, abdomen and then a bottom. Termites have a straight body that only has a head and a rear section.
Insect Pest Inspections, Control & More in Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville, Cedar Park & Austin Texas
If you are concerned that you have a carpenter ant or termite infestation in your home, it is important that you act quickly. The sooner you get them out of there, the less money you will be spending on repairs. At A-Tex Pest Management, we can help you decipher whether or not you have ants or termites and work to get rid of them for you. No matter how big or small the infestation may be, we can handle it. Call us today!