If you have found warning signs of termites on your property, but you are still unsure then you’ll want learn how to do termite identification. This should give you a good idea of whether there are any termites present on your property – even if you haven’t actually seen a single termite yet. However, sometimes people become confused and make mistakes. If you want to know what a termite really looks like then you won’t mistake it for another insect. The following pictures will help you to identify if you have a termite problem or whether it is some other insect that is causing you harm.
How to Identify Termites?
Flying Termites
Flying Termites
Swarming Termites
Swarming Termites
Flying Termites happen when the termites are looking to form a new nest. If you encounter swarming termites, you’ll realize that termites are pretty terrible flyers. The swarm will seem to go all over the place and any wind will easily blow the swarm about. Make sure any doors and windows are closed if you see anything like this happening in your neighbourhood. When flying termites have found a suitable location they will drop off their wings and begin burrowing as they try to create a new colony. If swarming termites are present on your property it is highly recommend that you try and kill as many termites as possible before the termites manage to burrow underground. It is much easier and cheaper to kill flying termites while they are still swarming, rather than once they have burrowed underneath or inside your property. If you live in an area which has a dry season then it’s likely that you’ll see flying termites on your property after the first heavy spell of rain or at the start of a new rainy season. Other areas which have different seasons may find that swarming termites occur more often during the spring and autumn periods of the year. A flying termite will look similar to the picture below. What is noticeable about a swarming termite is that it tends to have much larger wingspan compared to other insects such as flies. Once the flying termites have found a suitable location, its wings will drop off on to the ground. This is important to note as sometimes people may not see the swarm occurring, but are able to identify an infestation early on because they find the remaining wings left behind by the swarm.
Termites vs Ants
Ant
Termite
Ant
Termite
A Group Of Ants
A Group Of Termites
Ants
Termites
The most common mistake people make is that they confuse a termite infestation with an ant infestation. Ants can come in a variety of sizes and colors and so can termites, so it is understandable that they are often confused. The easiest way to tell the difference with termites vs ants is to look at the shape of the body of the insect. Termites have only 1 main long central body with legs sticking out on the side and a head placed on the end. Ants on the other hand are made of 3 distinct body parts: the head, the central body (or mesosoma) and the end (or gaster).
Bugs That Look Like Termites
Another confusion sometimes made is between termites and maggots – this difference is very easy to identify. It might seem obvious to some but you’d be surprised how many people confuse these two creatures. When you see a termite on the surface of somewhere, it will be moving around quickly, usually in a single direction and it will be moving around like it has a purpose (see the photos below).
Photo by Alejandro Soffia
