What Is the Difference Between Carpenter Ants and Termites?

Both carpenter ants and termites can wreak havoc on the wooden parts of your home. Knowing the difference makes a big difference in how you treat them (and how much the treatment may cost) McCall Service, your Florida-based pest control company, can assist you in identifying these insects. The main distinction between ants and termites is that ants may stop when their nest is finished. Termites will continue to eat your house from the inside out, causing significant structural damage. Professional pest control is frequently the most effective way to eliminate the presence of carpenter ants outside your home.

Termites and Ants A close-up of a carpenter ant chewing on wood

Both carpenter ants and termites can wreak havoc on the wooden parts of your home's structure, but knowing the difference makes a big difference in how you treat them (and how much the treatment may cost). McCall Service, your Florida-based pest control company, can assist you in identifying termites and carpenter ants. We'll even assist you in resolving the issue so you can move on without worrying about things falling apart around your house.

a carpenter ant chewing on wood in close-up

What exactly are carpenter ants?

Carpenter ants are ants that make their nests by hollowing out the insides of damp wooden structures. Carpenter ants bore holes in the fascia, deck railings, and other wooden structures of your home.

What exactly are termites?

Termites are social insects that not only destroy but also consume wood. Termite colonies are divided into castes, which include soldiers, workers, and reproductive termites. Each termite species has a distinct appearance. Drywood termites, which can eat both moist and dry wood, and subterranean termites, which can't live above ground for long but use mud tubes to infiltrate your home, are the most common types of termites in Florida.

How do I distinguish between ants and termites?

The main distinction between ants and termites is that ants may stop when their nest is finished. Termites, on the other hand, are unstoppable. They're not going to stop. They will continue to eat your house from the inside out, causing significant structural damage. Drywood termites will eat your furniture as well.

Looking for signs of termite activity around your home is another important method of identification. Swarms of reproductive termites flying through the air, mud tubes at the base of your home's foundation, and dust-like feces (known as frass) around holes in wooden structures are all signs of a serious termite infestation.

What is the best way to get rid of carpenter ants?

Professional pest control is frequently the most effective way to eliminate the presence of carpenter ants outside your home. The ants themselves aren't dangerous, but unless you get rid of them completely, you'll probably have problems again.

What is the best way to get rid of termites?

It's not a good idea to try DIY pest control with carpenter ants, and it's even worse with termites. Termites frequently necessitate specialized treatment techniques that can only be found with pest control companies that specialize in eliminating them. Whether your termite problems are caused by subterranean or drywood species, a true professional will assist in treating not only your home but also the surrounding areas. Termite prevention requires more than one treatment. This specialized ongoing service can only be provided by a professional.