Termite vs Flying Ant: Who’s Who?

There’s one insect that makes the homeowner tremble at first glance. Of all the pests out there, few can do the tremendous amount of damage as termites. Still, many confuse this master of destruction with the winged ant. They look remarkably similar, but actually aren’t. So let’s take a look at the differences in a termite vs flying ant comparison.

First off, make no mistake—the winged ant can cause damage to your home, but it doesn’t pose near the threat of the termite. It’s important to know which pest you’re dealing with so that you can correctly combat the problem. Take a picture of the damage or save a dead bug when possible. This will help our Kapture pest professional quickly identify the issue so that we can get started right away.

Termites and Flying Ants

Whether you’re dealing with flying ants or termites makes a big difference in how you treat them. At first glance, these winged pests look the same, but they are vastly different. You certainly don’t need a microscope to identify which insect has invaded your home as there are key characteristics that separate the two.

Bodies

When it comes to their appearance, the flying ant has a larger body, but their waist is relatively thin. You can see their thorax and abdomen have a bit of separation due to the indented waist size. They can be a hue of brown or black.

The termite has a straight body with no definition in the mid-section, which means it’s impossible to identify their abdomen from their thorax. They too are either a brown or black color.

Wings

The wings are another central area where there is a noticeable difference between a termite vs a flying ant. Both insects have two sets of wings, which are in the front and back of their bodies. However, on the winged ant, you will notice that their front wings are considerably larger than their back ones.

On the termite, both sets of wings are of equal proportion. The flying ant has an antenna bent or elbowed, but the termite’s antennae are straight.

Behaviors

Flying ants live in a colony which can be in or around your home. These insects’ main goal is to find a place to create new settlements to keep their families going. Unlike other ants, including some within their own colony, many of these ants can fly.

When you see the winged ant in your home, they are most-likely swarming and looking to mate. They need to set up a new colony, so once the female has mated, she will break off her wings to begin the laborious task of bringing forth new life. She needs the muscle power it takes her to fly to lay all the eggs.

You might see a pair of her wings on your windowsill, which can help you identify if you’re dealing with a termite vs flying ant family. Once the flying ant male mates, they die. Their life’s purpose is to create new colonies by fertilizing the females, and once they fulfill this goal, then they perish.

Just like the ant, termites also live in colonies. Their colony has three types of termites: workers, soldiers, and the ones that will reproduce. The males in termite colonies don’t perish after mating; however, both male and female will shed their wings when building a new home. Their discarded wings are typically found on the floors, but they may also be on other surfaces.

Diet

So what does a termite vs flying ant eat? The flying ant loves to dine on nectar as well as other debris. They are known as omnivorous creatures, which means they love to eat plants and animal foods. Within these colonies, the worker is responsible for gathering food for the rest of the ants.

The termites, on the other hand, love to eat decaying matter. They prefer wood and the leftovers of dead plants and vegetation. The workers also gather the food for their colony, but their attempts to find nourishment can cost you thousands in damage to your home.

Life Cycle

The winged ant goes through a metamorphosis once the queen lays the eggs. Those babies will go through three distinct stages: larvae, pupae, and adulthood. The workers only live for a couple of months, but the queen can live for numerous years.

Termites also go through metamorphosis. Shockingly, the queen of the termite colony can live up to two decades, but the workers and soldiers barely make it a year.

Habitat

Flying ants prefer to be in the great outdoors, especially when it’s a warm and wet climate. When they come into your home, they will almost always be in the windows looking to get back outside. They ravage your pantry in search of something to eat, and they are drawn to light.

The termite vs the flying ant loves to be indoors. They find all the hidden cavities within your home to be a beautiful place to set up their colonies—which are often found in basements, where there’s both wood and decay. They can also harbor in porches, under siding, on roof lines, and within walls.

Damage

Damage done by a termite vs flying ant colony is where the biggest difference lies. The biggest problem with the winged ant is the mess they leave behind. Since they shed their wings and the male dies, it’s common to find dead ants and wings lying everywhere. Again, you will probably notice these on the windowsill.

When it comes to destruction, the termite reigns supreme. They can damage the structural integrity of your home, specifically the parts made of wood. Why are they so infatuated with wood? Well, wood has a substance called cellulose that they love to eat. They burrow into wood to extract this nourishment.