Termites can cause serious structural damage to homes and other buildings as well as wooden furniture. People usually only notice termites when the infestation is widespread. Termite colonies fall into several classes, and many of these insects only come out in the dark. One of the most common classes, which you will be able to see outside the colony, is that of winged termites. The latter are able to reproduce and swarm before mating. You can identify termites by the shape of the body, wings and legs.
Steps
Step 1. Catch a termite - or the insect you think it is - from a swarm or take one from the ground after it has lost its wings and place it in a jar
Termites can swarm inside a building if there is an infestation, but you can also find them around windows or doors at night, being attracted to light.
Step 2. Examine the shape of the body
The waist should be loose and the body soft. Many people find it difficult to differentiate termites from ants. A winged ant will have a narrow waist, similar to a wasp. In addition, termites have soft bodies and have no armor.
Step 3. Pay attention to the black or dark brown body of the winged termites, which distinguishes them from the white of the worker ones
You can find worker termites in a pipe; in general they will be white and almost translucent. The ducts are earth-colored and typically the diameter of a pencil. You can find them outside the haunted buildings. You can open the vent to check for termites.
Step 4. Look at the antennas:
they are straight. Those of the ants, on the other hand, are bent or in the shape of an "elbow".
Step 5. Measure the termite by placing it on a sheet next to a line
Winged subterranean termites are usually 95mm in size. The workers are smaller, although there are variations in size depending on the species.
Step 6. Count and examine the six short and thick legs
Step 7. Check that the termite has 4 wings of equal size, the length of which is twice its body
Winged ants have wings equal to the extent of the body, and the front ones are larger than the rear ones.
Step 8. Check for wing stumps, in which case the termite has already lost its wings
The termite will have stumps that come out of the body where the wings were.
Step 9. Use a magnifying glass to examine the wing design
Subterranean termites usually have two main and a few smaller crossed veins. The wood termites, which form the colonies inside the dry essences instead of in the earth, have 3 main veins, many minor and crossed.
Advice
- Submit the sample for professional evaluation. You can ask an exterminator to examine the insect, or in many areas there are municipal agencies responsible for determining the animal species. You can also contact the local university's etymology department to identify the termite.
- Winged termites have clearly distinguishable eyes while workers have no eyes.
