What Do Termites Look Like

What do termites look like? You might want to know what termites look like if you've seen winged insects in your home. It can be hard to tell the difference between termites and winged ants, but there are tell tale signs that can help make the job easier.

Do Termites Look Like What You're Seeing?
The most common termite in the US is the subterranean termite. These insects live in large colonies underground and construct mud tubes to connect their colony to structural wood where they feed. Subterranean termites typically swarm in the spring with many insects leaving the nest at the same time. These winged pests are often confused with flying ants, but the following information will help you tell the difference:

• A big eye. The best way to observe the detail of these small insects is with a magnifying glass. Being able to magnify the body parts of the insect you're observing will help with a conclusive identification.
• What's NOT a termite. Flying ants have a narrow waist and bodies that are broken up into three distinct segments. Flying ants have two pairs of unevenly sized wings, and their antennae are bent into an elbow shape.
• Your classic termite. Termites have extremely large wings compared to their body size. The wings are also evenly sized. The termites have no waist-their bodies are the same width along their length. Finally, termites have generally straight antennae.
• Down deep. If you expose an underground termite colony, you'll most likely see many workers. Termite workers look like ants except they have white or translucent bodies with no defined waist
• Tunnel clues. The subterranean termite creates mud tubes that connect the colony to distant food sources like the wood in your house. These tubes appear as tan or brown veins of mud connecting the ground to the wood structure of your home. Termite tubes -found in crawlspaces or along basement walls-are a sure sign that you're dealing with termites and not ants.