February and into spring are common swarming seasons for many ant and termite species.

Termites and ants can look very similar, and you may not know if that winged insect inside your home or under the porch light is a termite or an ant. For me, the body shape is the easiest clue. There are three ways to differentiate termites and ants: antennae, wings, and body shape.

	ANTS		TERMITES
Antennae	bent, kinked, elbowed		straight	Photo: University of Nebraska Dept of Entomology
Wings	forewings longer than hind wings		4 wings same size
Body Shape	ants have a pinched waist and tend to curl (bend over) when they die		body is thick, no waist, and tend to stay straight when they die

Once you have determined if it is a termite or an ant, the next step is determining what type it is. This will help you choose the appropriate treatment option, or if treatment is even necessary.

The following publications at http://agrilifebookstore.org will help you ID your termites: Drywood Termites - E 366, Formosan Subterranean Termites - E 367, Subterranean Termites - E368

To ID your ant, check out these publications: The Common Ant Genera of Texas - B 6138, Managing Household Ant Pests - B 6183,or visit http://termite.tamu.edu and http://fireant.tamu.edu, contact Molly Keck (see address box on next page).

IPM Program Specialist and Entomologist, Molly Keck
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
mekeck@ag.tamu.edu
3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 212
San Antonio, Texas 78230
210/467-6575

Photos by Extension Entomology unless otherwise noted. For more pictures and full descriptions visit http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/