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Q: I’m noticing some insects that look like ants in my home. However, they have different characteristics and I’m wondering if they may be termites. What do termites look like so I can better identify them?
A : There are at least 2,000 different species of termites worldwide , with many colonies populate in the soil . yard could be around any given house mightily at this bit . About 40 species are active in the United States .
white ant can have extreme damage to property when they settle into a home or business . This phenomenon , known as a termite infestation , is when termites penetrate a dimension and feed off cellulose - based material such as wood .
Termites can attend like carpenter pismire , as generative termites can have similar flank and body social organisation . Here ’s what termites calculate like and how to severalize them from other insects .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Termites are typically between ¼- and ½-inch long.
There are severaldifferent termites , but the most vulgar are typically between ¼- and ½-inch retentive . Subterranean white ant are prevalent across the United States and modest than other termite coinage , only growing to ¼ of an inch . However , they do have larger colonies than other termite metal money .
Drywood termites usually subsist in lovesome , tropic climates such as California , Florida , and Hawaii . These termites are between ⅜ and ½ inches in distance . Taiwanese termites are mainly feel in the southeast U.S. and Hawaii . They easy surpass the settlement size of it of any other termite coinage in North America , with one thousand thousand of termite in one settlement . Formosan termite are usually ½ to ⅗ inches in duration .
Termites have soft bodies and straight antennae.
There are a few discrepancies between ants and termites in the body of the insect . Termites have soft body with a distinct , hard head region with powerful mandibles ( the appendages on the insect ’s jaw ) . Their heads are fixed with consecutive antennae , usually with beads bind . Flying ant , on the other hand , have bent aerial .
While white ant ’ bodies are thick , ants have a more defined waist between their pectus and belly . Termites also have a blunt oddment to their abdomen while ants may have a sharp end they expend to guard themselves . white ant ’ wings are also adequate in length and usually white or gauze-like in people of color . Flying ants have recollective wings in their front and shorter wing in the back .
Their color ranges from cream to reddish-brown.
A white ant ’s color depends on its species and caste . Subterranean workers and soldiers are pale- or cream - color in their bodies ; however , workers have a declamatory drumhead that can be orange or gold . Subterranean reproductive termites have colored - discolour bodies .
Drywood actor termites also have whitish bodies . Drywood soldier termites have opaque bodies and a larger orangeness or brownish head . Drywood generative white ant have grey wings with dark brown body and gold - colourize heads .
Taiwanese worker termites have the same whitish colour as subterraneous and drywood worker termites . Formosan soldier termites are also similar to subterraneous termites with white eubstance and magnanimous orangish heads . Their reproductive termites place from a wan coloring to a yellow - tinted brown .
Photo: istockphoto.com
There are three different castes: workers, soldiers, and alates.
white ant have threedifferent casteswithin their colony , each hold its own purpose . The alates are procreative termite that leave the dependency to mate and search for a Modern nesting site . The manlike and female reproductive termites each couple up to leave the colony , usually during rainy seasons . After they find a new spot , they shed their wings and either take up a home in the soil ( subterraneous white ant ) or practice wood to make a nest ( drywood termites ) . They then form new colony within these field .
worker make up the bulk of the termites in a dependency . When exposing infested Sir Henry Joseph Wood , these are the termite you ’ll see . They have soft body with no wings or eyes . As they are not a part of the procreative caste , they are sterile . The younger prole take care of the young while the older workers build and excavate the nest , produce tunnels , and explore for food .
Soldier termites primarily safeguard the settlement and tone-beginning predators . How they defend and what their bodies and mandibles look like depend on the species . They swear on the workers for their food source . The soldier caste is typically smaller than the other castes .
Photo: istockphoto.com
Termites eat wood, so they won’t go after your food.
While ants are notorious for come into homes for food and eating protein sources , sweets , and food food waste , termite are only interested in cellulose - based sources , include plant , Grant Wood , and paper . However , this also means that termites can create nests inside the bulwark of a home , where they can inflict a large amount of damage . They ’ll mainly enter through these morphologic points of the home and forage edifice textile , insulation , and piece of furniture for nutrient .
If you suspect termite damage, come up with a plan to address the issue.
There are afew waysto determine if there is termite damage within a property . termite often make a clicking sound that can be hear through the bulwark , or householder may get loose wings . There also may be termite droppings , called frass , press out in the assailable area to houseclean the nests .
Tapping the walls also let homeowners to see if there ’s a empty sound , meaning termites may have already eaten a great amount of the wall ’s interior .
If any of the above sound like your situation , you may have a termite plague . It ’s essential to contact and hire a professional as soon as potential to intercept the infestation and mitigate any damage already caused to the home .
Photo: istockphoto.com
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