Termites vs Ants

While they are very similar, there are a couple of quick ways to tell the difference between termites and ants, and it's always good to know what a termite looks like so you can tell the difference between ants vs termites.

Termites are not very elegant insects. They have wide bodies from head to tail and they have short legs. Termites also have no eyes. They have to do everything by feel with their short, bead like antanne or by scent. That may seem like quite a list of disadvantages for them, but termites still manage to cause billions of dollars worth of damage to buildings every year.

Termites are soft bodied insects. Their wide bodies don't have a hard exoskeleton like an ant does. Depending on the species of termite, their bodies may even appear semi-translucent. Most termites soldiers and workers are white or light colored with the soldiers heads being a darker amber color. Termite queens and kings tend to vary a lot more in body size and coloring from species to species.

Characteristics of a Termite:

• Straight, beaded antenna
• Wide Body (Thorax and Abdomen)
• Short Legs
• Generally Light Colored
  

Unlike termites, ants are leaner and more agile. They have narrow bodies that are constricted at the thorax and abdomen. They also have longer legs and antenna. An ants antenna is also elbowed and generally shoot forward and up and then elbow back down.

Ants are also ok with being out in the open. You will find them crawling around out in the open searching for food. Almost all termite species prefer to stay out of the open and are rarely seen.

Distinguishing features of Ants:

• Narrow Body
  
• Longer Legs
  
• Longer Elbowed Antenna
• Generally Darker Colored
  

One great way to tell the difference with termites vs ants is by their food choices.

Ants will eat just about anything. When you drop some food on the ground in the park, it's ants that will quickly show up to cart off the food. And it doesn't really matter what type of food it is.

Termites though, will only eat wood. Their bodies need the celulose found in wood products. This does however mean that they will consume paper products too. Old magazines, newspapers, papers, books and even toilet paper are all fair game. Those options are just as good as trees and hardwood to a termite.

So, if you want to know ate though the old books in the basement, most likely termites. If you're trying to figure out what the critters are that are eating all the stuff off your counters/floors, ants.

One major confusing when comparing ants and termites is the issue of wingged, flying ants and wingged termite swarmers.

Termite swarmers are young king and queen termites. These termites are the ones that leave the termite colony to start a new one. They have their wings to make this significant journey, but loose them after they mate. Termite swarmers will only emerge when weather conditions are right, ussually on a warm, moist day. This frequently happens after a rain storm. They tend to emerge in swarms (hence the term "swarmer").

• Straight, beaded antennea
• Two pairs of wings, both the same size and shape.
• Wing have fine, narrow veins that have a lace like appearance.
• Broad waist.
• Short legs.
  

• Elbowed antennae.
• Two sets of wings, the rear wings are smaller then the front wings.
• Wings have well defined veins.
• Narrow, constricted waist.
• Long Legs