28/09/2017
TERMITES & ANTS HOW DO YOU TELL THEM APART?
If you have any concerns about potential termite activity you're not sure about, Homeguard Pest Services - Pest Control Cairns offer a free 20-minute check to put your mind at ease, we are only a phone call away. Call Joe on 0401365239.
Ants and termites can be easily mistaken for each other especially when their tracks and leads may look the same at first glance. Both enter your home through small cavities in your walls and floors, however, on closer inspection, there are some obvious differences if you know what to look for. Termite tracks or mud leads are quite firm to touch and may require a little force to break open for inspection, as for ant tracks or leads they are very fragile and will fall apart at the slightest touch. This is only an indicator to what the tracks may belong to. Collecting a sample of the insect is the only correct way to identify what you have. One of the most obvious differences between ants and termites is their eyes, (termites do not have eyes) but ants do! Just like ants, when a termite colony has reached a certain size and maturity. The termite queen will start to produce winged female and male termites called (alates) in readiness to repopulate and find new nesting sites. Once termite alates emerge from the nest and take flight, they can be witnessed swarming in their thousands, where ant swarms may only reach few hundred in numbers. Summer through to about March is the termite swarming season, and these winged termites take flight normally when the weather conditions are warm and very humid, usually after a good rainfall. When this event takes place, it is not a time to be overly concerned about flying termites outside your property, they are not going to land on your porch and start eating your house away. The termites are looking for a mate and a suitable place to build a nest, and the conditions have to be near on perfect for this to take place. 99% of them will die, and those that do survive will need to find an area with a constant supply of water an instant food source and ultimately a place to build a nest. There is only a very short window of opportunity for their survival after the swarming event takes place. Old tree stumps, logs and decaying vegetation is the ideal environment for this to happen. When termites start to swarm this normally will occur at dusk, so it's a great time to grab your torch and try and find where they're coming from if possible collect a sample so you can have them correctly identified. However, if you do notice any winged termites emerging from the house through a hole or a crack in your walls. This is definitely a big concern and means that you already have a major well-established termite colony in your home. In this case, it is essential to contact a qualified termite technician to perform an inspection. They will advise on the extent of the infestation and what steps need to be taken and what your best options are moving forward. If you have any concerns about potential termite activity around your house, Homeguard Pest Services - Pest Control Cairns offer a free 20-minute check to put your mind at ease, we are only a phone call away. Call Joe on 0401365239.
TERMITES
do not develop eyes (blind)
have a thick waist
have straight antennae
have two sets of uniform wings (alates)
feeds on cellulose from timber
ANTS
Ants have eyes
have a pinched waist
has segmented antennae
two sets of unequal wings (alates)
feed on sugars and protein
