The “good” would be spring showers, so necessary for food production, lush lawn and colorful flower beds. The “bad” would be swarming ants, a real nuisance around the patio, ball park, etc. The “ugly” would be swarming termites, an indication that a termite colony has reached a population sufficient to start new colonies.
During this time of year it is not uncommon to see winged ants or winged termites flying, or crawling, around in the morning. So the question is ….. how do you tell the bad from the ugly? There are three different features to compare that will help identify if the subject is an ant or a termite.
The first distinguishing feature that will provide an identification between a swarming ant and a swarming termite is the “waist line”. A swarming ant will have the same pinched waist that a non-swarming ant has while a swarming termite will have a consistently broad body outline.
The second feature to compare for identifying a swarming ant versus a swarming termite is the length of the wings. The wings of a swarming ant will be slightly, if any, longer than the body while the wings of a swarming termite will be considerably longer than the body.
The final feature useful in distinguishing a swarming ant from a swarming termite is the antennae. An antenna of a swarming ant will be bent or elbowed while an antenna of a swarming termite will be straight and beaded.
Because of the size of the subject, be it a swarming ant or a swarming termite, a magnifying lens or very good eye sight will be required to view the distinguishing features. If internet pictures are used to assist with identification, I would caution our readers to make sure the pictures are from knowledgeable sources.
If you should be experiencing a problem with swarming ants, swarming termites, or any other pest issue, please contact Mr. Bugg’s Pest Patrol today for a free evaluation.
