Termites and Ants

Termites and ants are often mistaken for each other. In fact, termites are sometimes known as “white ants” while red fire ants are at times referred to as “red termites.” Both white ants and red termites are misnomers because termites and ants could not be any more different from each other.

Why is it important to differentiate between termites and ants?

Termites and ants behave differently and react differently to their environment. There are types of termites that are highly destructive to property as they feed on wood, their main food source. Ants, as scavengers, virtually eat anything they can get their hands on and they do not target wood as their main food source. In this regard, termites present a larger problem for humans than ants do.

Some pesticides will kill termites but not ants, while other pesticides work the other way around. There are only very few pesticides that can effectively control both termites and ants at the same time because of the inherent differences between the two insects. As such, it is important to identify these differences so that you can come up with effective solutions that can control one or the other.

Habitat

One of the most glaring differences between termites and ants is their habitat. Ants typically live on the surface which is a more practical setting for their scavenging habits.

Often, they would construct simple mounds made of dirt, bits of plant material, and saliva, to shelter their colony from the environment. But these mounds, compared to the more complex termite mounds, serve only as rudimentary constructions with little to no structural integrity. This is because ants do not depend on their mounds to create an environment that is more biologically favorable to them.

On the other hand, most termite species are unable to withstand the environment on the surface. As such, they create these mounds of dirt to allow them to control the environment around them, making it more conducive for their survival and reproduction. There are at least two highly common species of termites that live under the ground.

Appearance

Although termites and ants resemble each other, upon closer inspection you can spot a number of differences in their biological construction. For instance, the antennae of termites and ants are different in that termite antennae are made of simple, string of bead-like segments while ant antennae are elbowed.

Another significant difference between termites and ants is that ants have compound eyes, which makes it easy for them to find food on the surface. Termites, on the other hand, usually do not have eyes. This is due to the fact that while underground, termites do not need eyes t find food and instead use their other senses to feel around them. There are some termites, however, that have not very well-developed compound eyes.