We know that you are by no means an expert in the possible pests that could be plaguing your home, nor should you be. This is a common problem that homeowners experience when they discover that there are critters causing issues in their home. Plain and simple, these pests are not always easy to identify. In fact, to the untrained eye, carpenter ants and termites look extremely similar. Some would even say that they appear to be identical. This is because they both are black in color and have four wings. Both species also swarm when they are ready to mate, live in colonies that can become quite big and will cause damage to the wood in your home by eating and nesting.
Yes, there is truly a lot that these pests have in common, but they also are different in many ways. The treatment to get rid of termites and carpenter ants is also extremely varied. While you will need the help of a pest control team to eliminate both, we thought it might be helpful for you to uncover the true differences between the two so that you can potentially determine which one is affecting your home. Continue reading below to learn more about both.
The Inside Scoop On Carpenter Ants
Believe us, we know that our blog can be a bit overwhelming from time to time. After all, we are constantly telling you about other pests that could potentially be taking your home by storm. If you don’t know anything about carpenter ants, there is no need to worry. We are going to give you all the information you need in order to properly identify them.
Carpenter ants are capable of doing damage to any wood that they choose to nest in. When these ants are left untreated, the infestations will become serious quickly. They will develop satellite colonies that include a caste system much like termites. These colonies are made up of workers, mature larvae and pupae.
It is important to know that you are far less likely to find these types of ants in wood that is dry. This, of course, makes it even harder to determine if they are termites or not seeing as how there is only one kind of termite that can survive in dry wood. That’s right, just like the majority of termites, these ants prefer to live in environments that are moist or even rotten. The most popular nesting areas in a home for carpenter ants are hollow doors and windows, foam panels and wall voids.
On the other hand, there is a distinct difference between these ants and termites. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. Instead, these critters merely dig into the wood in order to build their nests.
When looking at a certain pest in your home, you are likely looking at a carpenter ant if it has a defined and narrow waist with three segments that are distinct from one another. They also have antennae that are bent to look like elbows and four wings that are pointed rather than rounded.
The Inside Scoop On Termites
Did you know that termites are often referred to as the “silent destroyers”? This is because these pests have the ability to chew through wood, flooring, paint, and more without making so much as a noise. Each year, termites are known to cause more than $5 billion in property damage. Most often, people will begin to suspect that they have termites in their home in the spring right after these critters mate. This is because once they have swarmed, found a mate, and procreated, termites will begin their own colony elsewhere from the colony where they first were born. This new place could be your home.
If you are looking for other signs that there are termites in your home, you should look for any cluster of wings that have been discarded. You can also keep an eye out for small piles of something that looks like sawdust around your home.
If you find a pest in your home and you think it might be a termite, you are likely right if it has a boxy body that looks like a rectangle that is divided into two segments. Additionally, termites have straight antennae and four wings, with each being the same size and shape.
You Can Trust Earthwise Pest Management With Both
If you have an infestation of carpenter ants or termites in your home, you need to call the professional pest control team at Earthwise Pest Management in Sacramento today. Even if you are not able to determine which one is infesting your home, there is no need to worry. We can tell termites and carpenter ants apart easily and we will move forward with the proper treatment. Contact us today to make an inspection appointment with our talented pest management team.
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