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Carpenter Ant vs Termite

What carpenter ants look like in Illinois & Indiana - Anderson Pest SolutionsIt’s understandable that people confuse carpenter ants for termites. Both are winged insects that tunnel in wood and cause damage to our homes. So, how can you tell which pest you’re dealing with? The experts at Anderson Pest Solutions have no trouble identifying carpenter ant vs termite infestations in Illinois & Indiana and can help teach you how to do so yourself.

How Do You Tell Apart Termites vs Carpenter Ants?

Learning to identify carpenter ants and termites will help you decide how best to act when you discover an infestation. There are three main ways to tell apart the two:

  1. Their appearance: Termite bodies are slightly smaller and have less pronounced parts than carpenter ants. Their limbs and antennae are also shorter, but their wingers are larger and symmetrical, as opposed to the shorter, uneven wings of the carpenter ant.
  2. Their diet: Carpenter ants don’t eat the wood that they tunnel through like termites do. Instead, they feed on insects, fruit, and various plants.
  3. Their activity: Since termites feed on the cellulose in wood, they don’t have to leave your walls, and can go undetected for years. On the flip side, you can catch carpenter ants walking around your house, looking for food.

How to tell apart carpenter ants and termites in Illinois & Indiana - Anderson Pest SolutionsSigns of Termite Damage vs Carpenter Ant Damage

To determine which wood-boring pest you’re dealing with, look for signs of carpenter ants vs termites based on the damage you find. When carpenter ants cut through wood, they leave shavings or sandpaper-like texture behind where they’ve been. They like to make their way into homes through already decayed wood.

Termites take cellulose from wooden structures, leaving behind stratified layers of torn-through wood. Another sign of termites is mud tubes in the soil of your yard. Termites dig these tunnels from their outside nests towards openings in your foundation, siding, or other places in your house. Once they get in, they can cause very expensive damage.

Getting Rid of Carpenter Ants and Termites

Other than checking around your house for wood decay or gaps and maintaining a tidy yard, there is not much you can do by yourself to prevent termites and carpenter ants by yourself. To avoid dealing with these destructive pests, ask your local pest control company about how they can help.

Our ant experts at Anderson Pest Solutions have been servicing Illinois & Indiana homes for years, setting traps, eliminating active infestations, and setting up preventative strategies to stop carpenter ant and termite outbreaks before they start. For a free estimate, contact us today!

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Carpenter Ant vs Termite Serving Illinois and Indiana

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