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Q: I’ve seen some small bugs near the baseboards of my home, along with some small holes in the wood. I’m worried that they might be termites, but I’ve never seen them before in my home, so I’m not positive what termites look like. Are there any bugs that look like termites that these could be, or should I hire an exterminator ASAP?
A : Termites are a homeowner ’s speculative nightmare — they can cause G of dollars of damage to your dwelling house ’s bodily structure before you even know they ’re present . But homeowner do n’t have to vex immediately when they spot minuscule bug around the home . Many dirt ball can resemble termites or display standardised behaviors , and while some pests may require the help of an exterminator to hit , others are harmless . If you ’re worried about the front of termite in your habitation , keep reading to learn about some of the termite ’s look - alikes ( and see the difference betweentermites vs. ants ) , and observe outhow to identify termiteswhen they ’re really in your dwelling .
Termites can have varying appearances, but they leave telltale signs of their presence around a home.
About 45 species of termites are found in the U.S. , meaning that not every termite looks just the same . These coinage hang into one of three family : subterraneous , dampwood , and drywood termites . white ant are in general between ¼ and ½ in farseeing with rounded consistency that lack a defined shank and have inadequate antennae . dead body color ranges from pick to ruddy - brown . If a householder sees whitened bugs that look like termite , those are most probable termites , as few other insects of standardized shapes and sizes can be as light - one-sided . sign of termitesinclude stagnant winged dirt ball around the domicile , empty - sounding wood , unexpected sawdust , or hard - to - receptive windows .
Flying ants can be confused with termites since both insects fly.
When a householder bit termites , they often see the winged termites leave the original colony to begin a novel one , meaning the original colony has become too crowded and signaling a severe infestation . These winged white ant are the ones that can copulate and multiply . When homeowners blob bugs that look like flying termites , they ’ll often see them in horde . fly ants move in similar teem radiation diagram as termites , so it may be natural to confuse the two insects .
The most substantial eminence between flying ants and white ant is that flying ants do n’t make any damage , unlike termites , who bung on wood . A termite plague will be attach to by small piles of sawdust on surfaces or visible holes where termite have bored .
However , fly pismire can still do an infestation , and like typical ants one would see in or around the home , flying ants will be attract to food and food for thought detritus . If ants that look like termites are spotted but they ’re nibbling on small-arm of kibble left over in a pet ’s food bowl , it ’s a sure sign of the zodiac that the insect is a flying pismire . Cleaning up food and debris or set trap can keep wing ant from overrun a household .
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Carpenter ants are black bugs that look like termites and damage wood.
Many homeowners may jumble a carpenter ant plague for a termite one because both midget pests conduct golf hole into and destroy Grant Wood . Carpenter pismire can leave small piles of wood junk , known as frass , but often , it ’s unbelievable that a homeowner would recognize frass . Frass is more likely to be stash away within the woodwind nihility or else of on the ground or windowsill , where sawdust that termites produce would be seen . Carpenter ant holes are also fluid than termite hole — as if sand or drilled . Termite hole are rougher and have a distinctly “ chewed ” facial expression .
Physically , carpenter ant have a thin , pinch waist ; narrow neck ; and long leg . white ant have a thicker shank and shorter legs that appear higher up on the body than they would on carpenter ants ’ body . While both insects have antennae , carpenter ant feeler are crumpled and segment . Winged termites have two pairs of evenly sized wings , while carpenter ant have much larger front wings and low back wings .
Acrobat ants often nest in voids in wood left behind by termites.
If a homeonwer antecedently deal out with a termite infestation and now blob insects in the holes and gaps the white ant left , they may think you have another termite infestation on your custody . But these insects that look like white ant may be acrobat ants . This case of ant often get hold of up residence where white ant have abandon or been eradicated from . Acrobat ants may leave behind tiny scraps of woods or insulation , but they typically cause less damage than termites . Like carpenter and flying ant , they have a narrow center than termites and also have bent antennae .
Acrobat emmet get their name from their physical reactions when touch : standing on their head with their venter and legs in the air . These insects can also relinquish a foul olfactory modality when trouble , which may serve distinguish them from other ant species or white ant .
The holes carpenter bees create can look like termite kick-out holes.
As their name hint , carpenter bees are another wood - consume dirt ball that go out behind yap . However , that ’s the conclusion of the similarities between carpenter bees and termite . If a homeowner sees a carpenter bee boring into Sir Henry Joseph Wood , it should be easy to distinguish it . Carpenter bee are much with child than termite and are chubby and foggy like bumblebees ( minus the stripes ) . Carpenter bee do n’t populate in colonies , so it ’s likely to only to see one at a time . Carpenter bee holes are also larger than termite hole and may comprise a sticky chickenhearted substance . You canmake a carpenter bee trapor contact a local pestilence control professional to treat the situation .
If you’re seeing bugs that look like termites without wings, they might be powderpost beetles.
A powderpost mallet is a bug that looks like a giant termite . It ’s another wood - boring dirt ball , but it only eats bare Mrs. Henry Wood , whereas termites are n’t as particular . Powderpost beetle only come out at Nox , so it ’s more likely to see the remnants of the beetles ’ study than a beetle itself . Powderpost beetles leave holes the size of a dope with okay sawdust surrounding them . The body physical body is unlike a termite — powderpost beetles have a typical elliptical beetle bod . If a householder recall they have powderpost mallet , it ’s still worth calling an terminator to minimise the amount of legal injury these worm create .
Mayflies and green lacewings are bugs that look like termites with wings and also swarm.
Carpenter and flying ants are n’t the only hemipterous insect with wings that you might discombobulate for white ant . Mayflies and green lacewings are two other small bug that look like white ant with wing . When these bugs are stationary , it should be reasonably easy to distinguish them from termite . All three of these bugs horde , though , so it can be tough to differentiate at a glance when these bugs are in gesture .
Mayflies spend most of their living developing in freshwater bodies , so they ’re uncouth nuisances to find near river , lakes , swamps , or Ngaio Marsh . Like wing white ant , shadfly swarm , so a homeonwer might think you have a termite infestation on your hands if they see a lot of small flying hemipteron in your backyard . Fully originate dayfly are bigger than termites ( up to an inch in length ) . Mayflies also have a typical shape , with a long and fragile abdomen and two or three slender tails coming out of the terminal . mayfly do n’t bite or sting , so the only harm they do is have a pain .
dark-green lacewings are backyard bugs that are very good to anyone with a garden . These dirt ball fee on pests like aphids , wanderer jot , and mealybugs . While unripe lacewing fly have a bright - green color in the warmer month , they change state brown when they winter . The brown color combined with four wings of even length can make green lacewings resemble fly termites even more . However , dark-green lacewings also have longer antennae and virtually - transparent wings , while white ant have little antennae and more unintelligible wings .
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When in doubt, it’s a good idea to get a termite inspection.
Termites are no joke and can cause severe and lasting damage to a home . Instead of focus over a termite recognition chart or asking friends or neighbour for advice , it ’s always a safe wager to hire a professional to do a exhaustive white ant review when there ’s any question about whether these dirt ball have made their way into a home . Thebest white ant ascendancy companiescan discover an infestation and employ thebest termite treatmentsto eradicate the universe efficaciously .
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Photo: istock.com
Photo: istock.com
Photo: istock.com