Can Termites Be Mistaken for Carpenter Ants?
Termites and carpenter ants are pests responsible for many pest control calls. Both insects destroy wood and can lead to considerable structural damage. Additionally, these critters have a lot in common in terms of appearance and behavior.
While it’s possible to mistake one species for the other, knowing the most evident characteristics of termites and carpenter ants can prevent this.
What’s the difference between termites and carpenter ants?
Even though the two insects closely resemble one another, there are some features that people can use to tell them apart.
The main difference is the shape of the body. Termites have a thorax and a head, but ants have an abdomen in addition to a thorax and head.
Termites also have much longer wings than ants. More specifically, the wings on a termite can be as much as two times longer than the body, whereas the wings on an ant do not grow much longer than the body.
What do termites and carpenter ants eat?
In a house, both carpenter ants and termites destroy anything wooden that they come across. The difference here is that termites treat wood as a nutrition source, but not carpenter ants. The latter can’t digest cellulose in wood, so they’re only notorious for digging holes to build shelters.
Either of these pests will need water to survive. And this detail is essential in controlling termites and carpenter ants, so much so that it can be used as a weapon against them. This means that fixing sources of moisture such as poor drainage and leaky faucets will discourage the growth of termites and carpenter ants.
What does the damage look like?
The damage caused by carpenter ants is distinct. Most species establish nests in rotten wood before expanding to any solid wood, wall voids, and insulations inside a home. The wood structure they settle in will look like a gallery carved into the wood and feel sanded in texture.
Again, carpenter ants don’t consume the wood for sustenance. They merely chew it in excavating galleries, so carefully that the damaged wood often looks like it has been sanded.
As for termites, these insects prefer spring wood as they have difficulties digesting the harder summer wood. The damage has a layered appearance, and their galleries generally contain soil, though termites also frequent moist areas outside of their mud tubing.
Keep looking
In truth, one should have no trouble telling these insects apart, especially now that you know how to do just that. If you ever find either of these at home, take action right away. Reach out to a licensed pest control company that will know what to do. It will take quite a bit to bring the infestation to an end and prevent further damage.
Russell Pest Control offers professional residential pest control services tailored to the customer’s needs across Phoenix Valley. Whether you need Africanized bee removal, spider control, or scorpion control, our licensed, experienced, and trustworthy technicians adopt an eco-conscious approach to minimize environmental impact. No hidden fees or gimmicks. Contact us today for a free estimate.
