Column
The Differences in Ants and Termites
By John Fulton
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[May 02, 2015]
With some warmer weather comes the
swarms of insects that raise that perennial question of "Are they
ants or termites?" Swarming time for both insects is about the same
time, and they are really looking to start new colonies because they
have outgrown their old ones. This is the reason for the winged
insects, as the wings allow the ants or termites to cover larger
areas to start their new colonies. With the number of samples coming
in over the past week, this is a very appropriate topic for this
week’s column. The differences between ants and termites are
several.
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Let's start with the body color. Termites are always blackish in
color, while ants may be black, red, brown, or other colors. If
you have winged insects that are not black, you don't have
termites. Next, look at the body shape. Ants have a constricted
"waist" while termites don't have that classic “hour-glass”
figure. Antennae and wings are the other two body parts to look
at. Antennae on ants are elbowed, basically in an "L" shape, and
those on termites are straight. Both ants and termites have two
pair of wings, but those on termites will be of equal length
while ants will have wings of different lengths on each side.
Looking through those entomology fact sheets also brings up a
few important points in the event that you do have termites.
First, don't assume that the house will fall in overnight. Take
the time to get several bids from reputable companies for the
treatment. Make sure you compare cost, service, and guarantees.
Second, termites are pretty much a professional treatment job,
unless you have an exposed foundation such as in a new
construction project. Third, there are traditional treatments to
kill the insects, and other treatments which render them
incapable of reproducing. Drenches, pressure injection, and bait
stations are all options.
One
of the first signs of termite infestation is usually mud tubes.
These tubes are made of the sand, soil, or other ground
materials located where the termites exit the ground. We have
the subterranean termites in our area, and they need humidity.
One way they can move above ground is to have the mud tubes
which provide the moist air, and keep them out of sunlight.
Unlike the winged termites, the ones doing the damage are
colorless since they are never exposed to light. Mud tubes
aren’t always visible, as they may be located inside concrete
blocks or other structures used in construction.
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If ants are your problem, use of bait stations or baseboard
sprays may help solve your problems. Many of the bait station
programs will require a good week to ten days to be effective.
If you want to speed along control, or just like to see the dead
insects with a revenge motive, you can combine the baseboard
sprays with the bait stations after the couple of weeks of just
the bait stations. Remember that damage done by ants, even
carpenter ants, is not structurally damaging to your home in the
manner of termites. They simply make a nesting hole in wood
rather than digest it.
If you have further questions on termites, or the do-it-yourself
identification doesn't seem to work, by all means contact your
local Extension Office. The number in Logan County is
217-732-8289 or Sangamon County is 217-782-4617.
[By JOHN FULTON, COUNTY EXTENSION
DIRECTOR SERVING LOGAN, MENARD, AND SANGAMON COUNTIES]
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