Which Ate What? Termites vs. Ants
Termites are tiny ant-like insects that feed on materials rich in cellulose. Coming from the family Isoptera, they have six legs and are very social insects like the ants which in turn come from the family Formicidae. Both live in colonies with a social structure composed of a hierarchy of members. They both have the workers that gather food, the soldiers that protect the colony, and the queen that lays eggs.
Because of the many similarities with the ants, they are often confused for one another. Here are some ways to determine which is which:
| Body Parts | Termite | Ants |
| Antenna | Straight and beaded equally | Elbowed |
| Wings (2 pairs) | Equal length | Unequal length |
| Waist | Thick | Thin |
1. The very obvious difference in terms of the physical structure is the width of their waist or mid-sections. Ants have slender waist while termites have wider ones that connects the thorax to the abdomen.
2. The body of termites are not as hard as those of the ants because they do not have a hard exoskeleton.
3. The antennae of termites are straight while those of the ants are bent in some angle.
4. Ants have longer legs and their front and rear wings are different in size.
5. Ants can be seen anywhere, anytime of the day while termites on the other hand, are always hiding. They work underneath the ground and on the inner parts of the walls while the ants don’t care if they’re exposed to sunlight. They crawl on the surface of your tables, the streets, the soil in the garden. They live on cracks that they dug in the ground.
6. Ants eat pretty much everything. A crumb that fell to the ground, the drop of a chocolate drink, the pack of chips in your counter, even dead bugs and other insects; the ants are surely the ones to put the blame into. Termites on the other hand, are somehow picky eaters. Well, perhaps because they can only digest a few things. So what do they eat? Just wood and paper. So you better keep the library treated if you want those precious books to survive; they’re most likely to go for them.
It is important to understand these similarities and differences and make sure you recognize which insects are in your house so you could determine which method to use to get rid of them. If you are positive it is the termite, don’t forget to seek help from professional exterminators.
Image source: http://www.wesleyjohnson.net/termites_ants.html
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