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Crawford County Home & Garden
Outdoor Pests
Is it a Termite or a Winged Ant?

Termite Identification

Termites have straight antennae, wings equal in size and a broad waist.

Drywood Termites

  • Establish themselves in wood that is NOT decayed, or in contact with ground moisture, and which appears to be perfectly dry - but can be brought in furniture from drier areas. Drywood termites are more prevalent in the coastal regions
  • Can live in wood with as little as 3% moisture content.
  • They tend to be found in attics of buildings where they can live without any soil connections whatsoever.
  • Larger than subterranean termites

Subterranean Termites

  • Needs contact with soil
  • Wood that is touching both the ground and house is a threat
  • Arkansas termite infestations are this species
  • Generally swarms in SPRING
  • Swarmers (winged reproductives) often attracted to lights
  • BUILD pencil-wide foraging tubes
  • Wood is usually hollowed along the grain with bits of soil lining the galleries

Black and white drawing of a winged insect.

Black and White drawing of an ant.

Black and white drawing of how to tell winged termites from ants
Color drawing of termite castes

For more information on insects, contact your University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Office

This information provided by Dr. Donna Shanklin; University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Fire Ant Management Specialist

Back to Outdoor Pests

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University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture
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Last Date Modified 05/09/2008
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Crawford County
Cooperative Extension Service
105 Pointer Trail West
Van Buren, AR  72956
Phone (479) 474-5286 • Fax (479) 471-3216

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