Have you seen a swarm around your home? As a homeowner, seeing a swarm of flying insects can be worrisome because this is the most obvious first sign of a termite infestation. Flying ants and termites can look very similar to an untrained eye. If you are unsure what small flying ants look like, our pest professionals at Turin Pest Control can help.
What Do Flying Ants Look Like?
If you see insects that look like ants with wings, you probably are observing flying ants. Flying ants’ bodies look very similar to typical ants. Flying ants have bent antennae, thin abdomens, and pinched waists. They have two pairs of wings that are brown-tinted and varied in size. Their bodies can be brown, red, or black.
What Do Termites Look Like?
Although they have some similarities to ants, termites have different features if you look more closely. They are known for having black or brown bodies. Their bodies are straight without pinched waists, and they have straight antennae. Their wings are equally sized and clear.
How Do They Behave?
Ants and termites both live in colonies. Termites typically are found in decaying wood, trees, logs, lumber, structures, etc. Although carpenter ants sometimes like to inhabit wood places, they do not eat wood or cause structural damage like termites do. Ants prefer to eat nectar, seeds, food debris, and other insects.
Termites cause more than 5 billion dollars in damage to American homes each year and many insurance policies will not cover the damage. If you see flies that look like ants, inspect them closely to see if your home is at risk. When in doubt, call Turin Pest Control. We can identify your flying pests and provide treatment plans if needed. Our team can help you deal with your current infestation and put prevention methods in place to keep them away for good.