Pictures of Termite Workers

The following are pictures of termites workers. They are the most common termites in a colony. Termite workers comprise from 80-99% of a termite colony's total population. They care for the young termite nymphs, the termite soldiers and the king and queen termites.

Termite workers are the termites that are out gathering the food for the colony. That means these are the termites that cause actual damage to your house. They work tirelessly, night and day. Eating away any wood they come across.

The Signs of Termite Problems

By being able to see the signs of termite invasion you can stop them before problems even start. Most of the US has some type of termite problem, with most of the probblems occuring in the warmer, southern states. But the truth is, no place can be completely safe from termites. There is always that possibility of your property being damaged due to termite attack with you not knowing it is happening.

Pay Attention to Little Details

• Termites thrive in moist areas, whether it be soil, wooden portions, or wood debris nearby. These wet areas encourage termites to flourish and quickly setup a thriving colony.
• You know termites have arrived if you find signs of termite swarmers. Those termites with their wings abandoned on your window sills or outside around the foundation of your home.
• Look around for mud tunnels that touch the ground or hollow wood sections, as these are also signs of a termite problems.
  

The more you know about termites the safer you will be. You can use termite pictures to make sure you know what exactly termites look like.

A smart homeowner begins protecting his home even before it is built. Before construction starts, the soil is applied with termiticide, before the foundations are even laid. Have your wood treated before these are used to build your house.

Those options are great if you build your own home, but most people don't buy new homes. In that case you won't know how well protected your home is. In this case it's important to have a solid termite inspection done.

Termites vs. Ants

People tend to confuse termites with ants. While they may look very similar, they are actually very different. The problem is, you have to look at them close up. And they are both very tiny.

The following are enlarged images of termites. So if you're seeing some little pests crawling around, bust out the magnifying glass and lets do some comparison.

Comparing Termites and Ants

When it comes to evaluating termites vs ants it is always simplest to just use a couple of termite pictures.





The image here shows the difference between an ant and termite reproductive. The same things apply to the other termite and ant castes.

As you can see termites have a simple, straight antenna, compared to the ants elbowed antenna.

Termites are wide bodied, compared to an ants narrow midsection.

When examining a winged ant vs termite, you'll notice that termites wings are equally sized, while ants wings are smaller with the back set.

Those are some of the key characteristics you can use to tell the difference between ants and termites.

What do Termites Look Like?

When dealing with a termite problem, the first thing you want to do is make sure you are actually dealing with termites.

This tends to lead to the next obvious question: What do Termites Look Like?

Don't worry, most people haven't actually seen a termite before and they have no clue what a termite looks like. Termites are pretty sneaky bugs. They tend to stay underground or in the wood they are eating. This makes it rather hard to identify termites or there presence.

Termite Anatomy

Termites have 6 legs and 2 antenna like other small bugs. But close examination will reveal some very distinct characteristics.

Termite antenna are simple. The go out from the termites head with a simple outward curve. They are not bent like an ants antenna. These antenna also have the appearance of being made up of little beads.

The termites body is wide from head to torso. In fact a termites body gets continually wider as you move away from the head.

Due to their secretive nature, termites prefer to stay out of the light. They have pail semi-translucent bodies. Sometimes they are called white ants due to this light coloring. Some of the soldiers will have darker colored heads that appear to be a light copper color.

Termites are blind. Unlike many other insects that have compound eyes, termites have no eyes at all. They rely on scent and touch to get around.