How to identify termites

Termites are very small and similar in size to ants, which often leads to confusion. Owing to their secretive nature, termites can be hard to detect, especially with an untrained eye. You are actually far more likely to spot the signs of termite damage before you spot termites themselves.

Termite species vary in habits, preferred food, size, body characteristics, colour and even parts of their lifecycle. There are some general characteristics, however, that are similar and can be used to identify termites and tell them from ants or other insects. 

This page describes the different life stages and castes of termites and shows you how to tell flying termites from flying ants.

What do termites look like?

As with any other pest, correct identification ensures the use of the most effective control methods and allows you to choose the most appropriate prevention steps to try and avoid problems in the future.

Termites have several stages in their life cycle from egg to adult and they also have different types, called castes, which have different roles in the nest and look different. Therefore it is important to recognise the different types of termite that are present in one colony.

Termite life cycle

Termites have three main developmental stages, unlike ants which have four. They undergo what is termed incomplete metamorphosis, which has no pupal stage:

• Egg
• Nymph/ larva: these resemble small adults on hatching
• Adult: queen, king, reproductives, workers, soldiers

Development is controlled by pheromones produced by the queen and one caste can develop into another caste, depending on the termite species and the requirements of the colony.

Termite nymph reproductives

These nymphs have larger bodies than the other castes and also have eyes. There are two types, long winged and short winged.

Termite reproductives

Reproductives, as the name suggests are the castes with the ability to mate. They have functional sexual organs and the females can produce eggs when the queen dies or its influence is reduced.

Alates

Alates are the winged male and female reproductives that swarm out from the nest at certain times of the year or the rainy season. Males and females pair off and land to look for a nesting site.

Shortly after landing they snap their wings off and either excavate a small chamber in the soil (subterranean termites) or find suitable timber to create a nest (dampwood and drywood termites) then mate and produce eggs. It may take several years before the next generation of alates are produced in a new colony.

Termite queen and king

When in the new nest the male and female are regarded as the queen and king. They do not emerge again from the nest and may live for several decades. The queen feeds and tends to the hatched nymphs until they mature into workers. The workers then take over the caring and feeding of the young nymphs and also groom and feed the queen. The abdomen of the queen grows so large that it cannot move from its position in the middle of the nest, so will not be seen unless a nest is broken open.

Neotenics

These are secondary reproductives and can develop from nymphs or other castes (depending on termite species) when the influence of the queen reduces or disappears. This could be when the queen dies, when the colony grows large and the queen is aging or when a satellite colony is established separate from the main one. The queen produces chemicals called pheromones that are passed around the colony and prevent the other reproductives from developing functional reproductive organs.

In some termite species the queen produces neotenics by parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) when it is old and egg production is insufficient to maintain the colony. These neotenics are genetically identical to the queen and means the queen is “genetically immortal” until the colony dies out.

Termite worker

The workers make up the largest number in a colony and are the caste that is seen when a nest or infested wood is broken open. They have a pale brown, soft body, no eyes or wings, and hard mouthparts for chewing wood. They are both male and female but are sterile. The young workers feed and groom the other castes and care for the young. The older workers excavate or build the nest, construct the tunnels and forage for food which they bring back to the nest and feed to the other termites.

In some species, such as the invasive West Indian drywood termite (Cryptotermes brevis) there are no true workers. The young soldiers, which are called pseudergates, act as workers until they mature and then become fully fledged soldiers.

Termite soldier

Soldiers defend the colony against attack by predatory enemies such as ants. They are eyeless, soft bodied and wingless. In some species the soldiers have an enlarged head with large mandibles (jaws) for defence. In species of the Nasutitermitinae subfamily the soldiers have a snout, called the nasus, which can spray a repellent liquid. These soldiers are usually smaller than the workers. Soldiers are unable to feed themselves and are fed by the workers.

What is the difference between ants and termites?

Termites are similar in size to ants, which often leads to confusion, especially in their winged stage. Termites are highly unlikely to be seen crawling around your property unless they are in the winged stage, the alates, or have just shed their wings.

The other termite stages cannot survive long outside the protective humid atmosphere of their nests or tunnels because their soft bodies dry out quickly. There are species of termite that forage in the open, feeding on plant matter such as dead grass, leaves, twigs or lichen, but they require humid conditions, are mostly found in remote areas and are not pests of buildings.

Ants come into our homes looking for the food that we eat, such as sweet foods and protein sources, whereas the pest termites feed on wood and other cellulose sources such as paper. In fact ants are the main predators of termites, with some species of ant highly adapted to attacking ants and even co-habiting termite nests.

The alate phase of termites and ants, also called swarmers, cause the most confusion especially if they appear at similar times. Different species of both termites and ants swarm at different times — of the day or year — so there is no fixed rule for distinguishing them in this way. On close examination, however, you can easily tell the difference, as shown in the graphic and description below

• Waist:
  • Termites have a straight ‘waist’ between the thorax and abdomen
  • Ants have a pinched waist
• Abdomen:
  • Termites have a blunt end to their abdomen
  • Most ant species have a sharp end which can sting or spray toxic chemicals
• Antennae:
  • Termites have straight antennae
  • Ants have bent antennae
• Wing length of alates:
  • Termite front and rear wings are of equal length and longer than the body
  • The front wings of ants are a similar length to their body and longer than the rear pair
• Colour:
  • The bodies of termites workers and soldiers are beige or tan coloured in most species and the alates are brown
  • Ants are mostly red or black

Identifying termite species

Different species of termites have different habits and pose different risks to your property. Some species are more voracious eaters than others, so can inflict more damage in a shorter time.

Dampwood and drywood termites live and breed inside the wood they are feeding on, whereas subterranean termites build their nests in the ground or near sources of moisture above ground and send out the workers to forage for wood sources. They construct mud tubes when foraging above ground, to protect themselves from dehydration and from predators.

It is therefore important to identify which species is present to plan the most effective strategy for eradication, monitoring and future protection.

The location of your property as well as its component structure will both have an impact on the termite species that you may be at risk of. Generally speaking, incidence of termite infestation is much higher in the hotter climates of india such as Mumbai, Lucknow and Pune.

At Rentokil, we confirm the invading termite species through a visual identification of the insects themselves rather than just looking at the evidence of the damage to your building and its location.

Find out more about the main termite pest species present in India

How to identify termites from their damage

The different types of termite have different ‘signatures’ in the way that they damage your timber. The points below explaining the difference between subterranean and drywood termites could be of help when checking your building for signs of activity:

See the termite species page for more information on subterranean, drywood and dampwood termites.

Termite proof your property

A termite infestation can result in costly repairs to your property. Having experienced a termite infestation, most people will be eager to ensure they do not have the same problem in the future.

Rentokil are the experts in protecting homes, commercial buildings and institutions such as schools, hospitals and care homes. We offer comprehensive inspection, treatment and control services.