Most people think carpenter ants and termites

are one and the same, but while they both damage wooden structural elements in homes, they actually have a few key differences beyond that. Here are some of the main ones. Your Nashville termite exterminator can also advise you of signs to look out for.

Appearance of Ants & Termites

The biggest distinguishing characteristic between carpenter ants and termites is their waist size. While carpenter ants feature slender, pinched waists forming a notable separation between the top and bottom parts of their bodies, termites sport a broad waist to result in a more uniform appearance.

Carpenter ants have elbow-shaped antennae on the tops of their heads, divided into two big pieces. Termites, on the other hand, have antennae that look like a string of beads.

As far as coloring goes, carpenter ants are black or dark brown, or even red or yellow. Termites are usually creamy white, dark brown or black depending on the species and what role they play in the colony.

The winged reproductive members of both insects are known as swarmers, and they can be identified by the shape of their wings. Both have two wing sets, one in the front and one at the back. For termites, both sets of wings are equal in size and length. For carpenter ants, the hind wings are smaller than the front wings.

Signs Of Termite vs Ants

Carpenter ants and termites can both chew through wood easily and undetected, digging vast tunnels and galleries that weaken the wood and compromise the entire structure.

Subterranean termites make mud tubes, which you will find along the walls of your home. They are comprised of wood, soil, and saliva, and they are there to protect the termites and retain moisture as they navigate their underground colonies.

Subterranean termite damage often looks like water damage, resulting in sagging, bending, darkening, and crumbling once they have chewed through it.

Carpenter ants leave small piles of excrement, called frass, that look like pellets or sawdust. This comes from the wood particles that are discarded throughout their nests via kick-out holes.

Behavior

Carpenter ants and termites both like wood and moisture, but termites actually consume it while carpenter ants do not.

This is why carpenter ants are less destructive than termites, as the resulting damage only involves the excavation of tunnels. Termite damage is the result of continuous eating.

Carpenter ants often leave their nests to look for food such as sweets, meat, and fruit. You are more likely to spot carpenter ants crawling around your pantry in the night time because they are nocturnal.

Termites are harder to detect because they don’t often come out of their tunnels. Usually only during swarming season will you spot the winged termite swarmers, as they are on the hunt for mates.

Treatment of Ants & Termites

To get get rid of carpenter ants , baits, wood injections, powders and sprays may be effective. Some of these methods may also work for drywood termites, but you will probably have to use a combination of all these methods for both insects, as they tend to hide deep inside the wood in your home.

Treatment for subterranean termites includes liquid barriers and bait stations, which get at the colonies located well underground in the soil.

Termite & Ant Treatment in Nashville TN

Our Nashville pest control technicians treat both carpenter ants and termites, so contact us today at 615-502-2855 to book your consultation. We use the Trelona Termite Colony Elimination System for termite removal.