What Do Termites Look Like?

Are you worried about termites but not sure what to look for? Termites can be easily confused with other insects, especially winged ants, causing many people to ignore termite infestations until it is too late. This confusion can lead to costly damage if left unchecked. They cause over $5 billion in damages to homes in the United States each year, which makes it important to be able to identify and quickly remove termite infestations.

At Rocket Pest Control, we’ve seen firsthand how termites can wreak havoc on homes. That’s why we offer expert termite identification and removal services. Our team is trained to spot even the sneakiest termites and get rid of them fast. And we’re here to help you spot termites in this guide.

Termite Identification

Many folks have trouble spotting termites because they’re so small. This makes it easy to miss an infestation until it’s too late. You should look out for insects with pale, soft bodies that are about ¼ inch long, with six legs and straight antennae, and range from creamy white to light brown in color.

There are two main types of termites in the United States, drywood and subterranean termites, that will infest your home.

Subterranean Termites

• 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 durin

g the daytime. These are the most common and most destructive termites you might find around your home.

Drywood Termites

• 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.

8 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:

1. Difficulty opening windows and doors: Termites like to target the wood around doors and windows. As they damage the wood around a window or door, it will warp the wood, making them difficult to open.
2. Irregularities in paint: When termites eat the wood behind your walls, you might notice bubbling paint, pinholes in paint, and small dented lines on your walls.
3. Finding swarmers and discarded wings: Swarmer termites will emerge from their colonies to breed and establish new colonies. Finding live swarmer termites or piles of their wings is an early telltale sign of a termite infestation
4. Piles of droppings: If you have drywood termites, you might find piles of termite droppings (also known as frass). They will often look like piles of wood shavings.
5. Mud tubes: Subterranean termites build mud tubes to keep from drying out as they move around. Finding mud tubes around the outside of your home is a clear sign of a termite infestation.
6. Wood sounding hollow when tapped: If you knock on a wood structure and you hear a hollow sound, it likely means termites have eaten through it.
7. Sagging floors or ceilings: Wood loses its structure when termites make a meal of them, causing weakening and sagging.
8. Maze-like patterns in wood: Termites typically make curvy, winding patterns in furniture and structures.

What does a termite look like with wings?

Some termites grow wings during their swarming season. This can get confusing, and people often mistake them for flying ants. Here’s how to tell winged termites apart:

• Termites have straight antennae, while ants have bent antennae.
• Termite wings are equal in size, ant wings differ in size.
• Termite waists are thick, and ant waists are thin.

What does a termite swarm look like?

Termite swarms occur in the spring and fall, and look like a cloud of flying insects (near wood or light sources). These swarms leave behind piles of shed wings.

What do termites look like throughout their life cycle?

Termites go through several stages as they grow throughout their short lives. Each stage looks like the following:

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
• Soft-bodied insects without wings
• Very similar across different termite types

Adult Worker & 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

If you’re not sure what you’re seeing when you spot insects around your space, don’t wait. Call the professionals in termite control.

Get Rid of Termites With Professional Extermination

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!