How Big Are Termites Compared to Ants?
WouterTermites and ants are a good example of two insects that can be mistaken for one another. Termites are smaller than ants but can still damage homes. They are omnivores and can be found in rotting wood and soil. They are also able to enter through cracks in your home as small as a half an inch.
Termites and ants have similar life cycles. The queen of a termite colony can live for more than a decade while the males are only around for a few weeks. During the warmer months, the queen and fertile termites can fly from their nests. They will also build mud tubes to help them get to their food source.
The most obvious differences between ants and termites are size and shape. Ants are tiny while termites are more than a few inches long. Termites have straight antennae and an oblong, tube-shaped abdomen. They also have a waist with a distinct and narrow shape.
The wings are also different. Ants have a pair of larger forewings while termites have a pair of smaller hind wings. Their wings are also larger in the front and back.
Termite swarms have four wings on their abdomen. The ant wing is a tiny bit longer than the termite wing.
The ants’ forewings also have the largest number of braille dots. The termite wing has a whitish color.
The best way to distinguish a termite from an ant is to inspect its body. Termites have a well-defined waist, while the ant’s waist is a little smaller.
