Termites vs. Ants: Which Pest is Taking Over Your Home?

You spy something flying around your house or a small army of marching insects near the kitchen windowsill. Whether you’re seeing a group of termites vs. ants, both pests can create problems for your household. But how can you tell if you’re dealing with destructive termites or ants? It comes down to inspecting how each insect looks, behaves, and eats to tell the difference.

What Are the Differences Between Termites and Ants?

There are several key differences to consider when determining whether you’re dealing with termites vs. ants. Their appearance is often a key giveaway.

Termites vs. Ants: Differences in Appearance

From a distance, termites and ants can look quite similar. Some ants may have wings, which can further make it difficult to tell flying ants vs. termites apart. But take a closer look at their wings, antennae, and waists to determine whether you have a termite vs. ant infestation.

Size

Termites and ants have a variety of sizes, so their length isn’t a great way to tell them apart. Different types of termites and ants can be quite small, or they may have queens well over 1 inch long. Most termites are less than ½ inch long.

Color

Termites and ants are usually quite different in color. If you’ve ever had an outdoor picnic or cookout, you’re certainly familiar with brown or black ants crawling near your food. Of course, you can’t forget the vicious and bright-red fire ants. Meanwhile, termites are lighter in color, usually white, off-white, or even translucent.

Shape

Take a look at the abdomen of the insects in your home to tell the difference between termites vs. ants. Ants have a well-defined, pinched-looking waist, while termites have wider bodies that are almost rectangular.

Antennae

Termites have straight antennae that appear beaded. In contrast, ants have a sharper bend in their antennae, making them easy to tell apart.

Number of Legs

Both termites and ants are insects with six legs. Ants tend to have thinner, longer legs, while termites usually have thicker, shorter legs.

Feeding Differences

Photo: Roy JAMES Shakespeare / Photodisc / Getty Images

While you can usually differentiate termites vs. ants based on their appearance alone, they also differ greatly in their preferred food sources.

Diet

Ants have a reputation for getting into human foods, as they are looking for plant- and animal-based food sources. Even carpenter ants prefer to eat other insects or human foods, although their name implies they eat wood (they do nest in wood, but they don’t eat it).

In contract, termites feed on and nest in wood. Different types of termites may eat different woods. For example, drywood ants may eat on wood in walls or floors, while dampwood termites prefer moist or rotting wood. That’s why a termite specialist will check all wood sources for signs of these pests during a termite inspection.

Time of Day

Although many ants work overnight, you may spot active ants any time of the day. Different types of termites may be active at different times of the day. For instance, drywood termites may be active through the night, while subterranean termites tend to be more active during the day.

Habitat Differences

Most ant species live in soil or other plants, while termites live either underground (subterranean termites) or in wood, such as in wood structures of buildings, furniture, or trees.

Termites and carpenter ants have similarities in their habitat preferences, as both nest in sources of wood. The difference is that termites also eat the wood, making them an even more destructive pest.

Life Cycle Differences

Termites and ants have very different life cycles, with five stages for termites and four for ants. Ants tend to live shorter lives than termites.

Termites

Termites tend to live longer lives than ants, and they can be quite destructive during their lifespan, which is why it’s essential to get rid of termites in your home. These insects have five stages of their lifecycle: egg, larva, nymph, molt, and adult. Worker termites live about one to two years, while swarmer termites, which are responsible for reproduction, live about three to four years. A termite queen can live a few decades.

Ants

Ants have much shorter lifespans broken into four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Like termites, ant colonies have queens, which may live well over 15 years. The worker ants have much shorter lifespans, usually only a few weeks up to a few months.

Illness & Disease Differences

Termites and ants pose different risks to human health. Termites tend to pose less issues in terms of illness and disease but can be extremely destructive to buildings, putting families in danger. Meanwhile, ants may carry harmful bacteria; some ants bite or sting.

Termites

Termites are not known to carry any diseases that can harm humans. But the feces, dust, and other particles they leave behind from feeding, nesting, or reproducing can cause allergic reactions. Also, because termites can cause extensive damage to structures and furniture, they can pose a danger to humans by creating less stable structures or by allowing better conditions for mold growth.

Ants

Anyone who has ever had an encounter with fire ants knows how painful their stings can be. Some ant species may bite or sting, which can be painful. For some people, these bites or stings may also cause serious allergic reactions. Because ants seek out sources of food and moisture, they can also carry food-borne illnesses, such as shigella or salmonella.

Prevention Differences

Both termites and ants are looking for food, so eradicating their preferred food source is a good way to prevent these pests from coming into your home. The difference for preventing termites vs. ants is that they have different diets to consider.

If you need to hire an exterminator, you’ll spend about $600 on average for the cost of termite treatments, depending on the size, severity, and location of the infestation. On the other hand, you can expect to pay around $150 for the cost of ant extermination.

Termite Prevention

Getting rid of termites is a difficult task, so preventative measures are a must. Caulking gaps around the home can help keep termites from coming into your home, and you can install physical barriers to keep subterranean termites at bay. Swap cardboard storage boxes for plastic alternatives. One of the best options for preventing termites is to schedule regular termite inspections about once per year and hiring a local termite control company to eradicate infestations as soon as possible.

Ant Prevention

The best way to prevent or get rid of ants is to eliminate their food sources. Wiping counters, cabinets, tables, and other surfaces of any sticky spills or crumbs is a good start. Regularly cleaning floors will also help. If you have any leaks around the house, the water can attract ants. Storing food in airtight containers is another way to deter these pests.