What Do Termites Look Like?

It’s easy to confuse termites with other insects. This often leads people to ignore termite warning signs until after the infestation has been established, and it’s much more difficult to eliminate. At Rocket Pest Control, we believe the key to preventing termite damage is early detection and action – so we wanted to provide you with the definitive guide to identifying termites.

What do termites look like? Keep reading for the quick answer – or click here for a deeper exploration into how to identify termites.

Worker termites have these five characteristics:

• Pale: Worker termites live hidden from sunlight, so they lack skin pigmentation.
• Soft-bodied: Unlike many insects, termites have soft, unarmored bodies.
• Straight antennae: Their antennae are straight, not bent or “elbowed” like an ant’s.
• Broad-waisted: They have a thick waist with no narrowing between body segments.
• Tubular: Their bodies have a uniform, tube-like shape from end to end.

Swarmer termites (alates) are breeders. You’ll often notice them swarming in large groups. They share many characteristics with workers, with some key differences:

• Darker Color: Alates are exposed to sunlight and have darker pigmentation, making them brown or black.
• Wings: Swarmers have two pairs of equal-length wings, which they shed after flight. Piles of these discarded wings are a key sign of an infestation.

What Termites Look Like – Audio Overview

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What Termites Look Like – A Closer Examination

Termites cause over $5 billion in damage to homes in the United States each year, making it crucial to identify and quickly remove termite infestations. In this article, we’re going to teach you exactly how to recognize termites, so you’ll never be confused again.

Aside from workers and swarmers, one more important thing to know is the different termite species. Here in the southeast, we predominantly deal with two main types. This is what subterranean termites and drywood termites and drywood termites look like:

What Do Subterranean Termites Look Like?

• Body: Long and narrow ribbed body without noticeable body segments
• Head: Large, oval-shaped head
• Color: Light and creamy to dark brown coloring
• Size: ⅛ inch
• Mandibles: large, dark jaws
• Antenna: 2 small straight antennae
• Wings: 4 long oval wings. Only those who leave the nest to reproduce have wings.

Subterranean termites nest underground and are known for their tube-shaped burrows to keep them moist and move around beneath the soil. They do not nest in wood and prefer to eat softer parts of the wood. Subterranean termites often swarm during the daytime. These are the most common and most destructive termites you might find around your home.

What Do Drywood Termites Look Like?

• Body: Long and narrow ribbed body without noticeable body segments
• Head: Small, rounded head
• Color: Light, creamy to black coloring.
• Size: ⅜ to 1 inch
• Mandibles: Small, lightly colored jaws.
• Antennae: 2 small straight antennae
• Wings: 4 long oval wings. Only those who leave the nest to reproduce have wings.

Drywood termites live in healthy wood and prefer to eat through hard pieces of wood, unlike subterranean termites. They like to nest in roofs, walls, and sometimes even in furniture in your home and will usually swarm at night. They can be extremely difficult to get rid of since they nest in the wood, compared to subterranean termites that nest in the soil around homes.

What Does a Termite Swarm Look Like?

Termite swarms occur when groups of breeding termites, also known as alates, leave the nest to try to establish nests. They fly away from the nest with their wings and land in an area, usually within about 300 feet of where they began. They “swarm” together in a pile for about thirty minutes to an hour, after which they shed their wings and disperse.

If you see a termite swarm or a pile of shed wings near your home, it’s an important warning sign. It means that you’re at increased risk of termite infestation. We recommend that you continue monitoring for other signs of termites or get a professional termite infestation.

Termite swarms occur in the spring and fall, often near wood or light sources.

What Do Termites Look Like at Different Points in Their Life Cycle?

Termites go through several stages as they grow throughout their short lives.

Egg Stage

Termite eggs are tiny and hard to see with the naked eye. They look like:

• Small, white or cream-colored ovals
• About the size of a period at the end of a sentence

Nymph Stage

After hatching, termites enter the nymph stage. Nymphs are often mistaken for other small insects. Nymphs look like:

• Small, white versions of adult termites
• Very similar across different termite types

Adult Worker and Soldier Stage

As nymphs grow, they become adult workers or soldiers. These are the termites most people picture. These termites look like:

• Cream-colored to light brown insects
• About ¼ inch long
• Workers have softer heads, while soldiers have larger, darker heads

Reproductive (Alate) Stage

Some termites develop into reproductives, also called alates. These are the termites that can fly and start new colonies. Alates are often confused with flying ants. They look like:

• Darker colored (usually black or dark brown)
• Have two pairs of wings
• Slightly larger than workers or soldiers

Learn to Spot the 8 Telltale Signs of a Termite Infestation

Termites are responsible for billions of dollars in damage to homes every year. These damaging insects should be removed from your home as quickly as possible. If you see any of the following signs, you may have a termite infestation and should call a trusted exterminator:

• Irregularities in paint
• Finding swarmers and discarded wings
• Piles of droppings
• Mud tubes
• Wood sounds hollow when tapped
• Sagging floors or ceilings
• Maze-like patterns in wood
• Difficulty opening windows and doors

For more information on these, check out our article on How to Spot the Warning Signs of Termites.

What’s the Difference Between Termites and Ants?

Good question. People call us and ask this frequently. Termites and ants are easily mistaken with each other, especially termites and carpenter ants, which both have wings and destroy wood. Check out the full-length article we wrote on the subject right here >> Comparing Ants and Termites

Get Rid of Termites With Professional Extermination

If you’re still not sure what termites look like, we offer complimentary termite inspections to homeowners throughout our service area. Just give us a call, and we’ll be happy to come take a look. Our licensed termite exterminators are trained to spot even the sneakiest termites and get rid of them fast.

At Rocket Pest Control, we understand how devastating a termite infestation can be to a home. Our number one priority is to eliminate pests and keep them out for good. If you believe you have termites in your home, it is important to treat an infestation quickly.

Termites can eat through important pieces of structural wood in your home, costing you thousands in repair bills. Our team knows all the hiding spots termites love. We’ll do a thorough check of your home to catch any infestation early.

Give us a call or fill out our contact form here to get started with a free service quote. We will quickly and effectively rid your home of termites for good!