When you find a pest in your home, it’s important to know what you are dealing with so you know the proper treatment plan. Carpenter ants and termites are two commonly misidentified pests. They share common traits, the most concerning is that they both destroy wood. Read on to learn how to tell the difference between the two pests.

Appearance

Termites: They have straight antennae, a rice-shaped body, and two separate body parts. Termites are white/tan. Swarming termites have equally sized wings.

Carpenter Ants: They have angled antennae, three-part body with a thin waist, and are dark brown/black. Swarming carpenter ants have wings that are different sizes.

Signs of an Infestation

Carpenter Ants: With carpenter ants, you’ll often see sawdust-like fragments near your home. Sometimes, you’ll hear soft crunching or rustling inside the walls or wooden structures in your home.

Termites: Termites leave behind plenty of signs if you know what you’re looking for. You’ll find discarded wings that look like fish scales and waste that resembles piles of pepper. You might find mud tubes around your home that appear to “climb up” a wall. Termites rarely leave many remnants of wood, instead of taking as much as they can. The only things left behind are usually chunks of wood that have fallen off., though you might find damaged wood that sounds hollow or is crumbled.

Damage

Carpenter Ants: Carpenter ants clear out the inside of wood for nesting, so the wood’s structure is meant to stay intact for their own safety.  While this isn’t welcomed behavior, it’s very little to worry about compared to termite damage.

Termites: Termites cause significantly more wood damage, making them a much more damaging pest for your home. Termites take a toll on all areas of your house and can cause thousands of dollars in damage.

Call Green Pest Solutions for Carpenter Ant and Termite Help

Do you know which pest you’re dealing with? Green Pest Solutions does, and we’re here to help identify and treat carpenter ants and termites. Call us today at 877-636-9469 for a free quote.