Posted By: elcasador
Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 02:16 PM
I need help identifying this.
20140731_091018 by
elcasador, on Flickr
Posted By: StretchR
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 02:22 PM
Looks like termites to me. Ants have a very thin thorax. They also have longer, bent, antennae. Finally, ants have different length upper and lower wings while the termite wings are the same (or closer). I can only see the body in your photo, but it looks like there is a thick thorax (waist) so very like termites.
Posted By: dkershen
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 02:32 PM
Either way.. carpenter ants or termites both need attention ASAP.
Posted By: elcasador
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 02:53 PM
Thanks, already scheduled. Just asking the Thousand dollar question cause we also own the two homes next door.
Posted By: Navasot
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 04:01 PM
Were they making little holes with piles of dust next to them?
Posted By: Navasot
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 04:03 PM
Termites are more equal in size from head to abdomen
Posted By: Ntgrty
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 04:28 PM
Carpenter ants - the one on the right has a very small tool belt on
Posted By: colt45-90
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 04:57 PM
either one, need to be gone
Posted By: Western
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 05:50 PM
I would guess carpenter ants as well, those look dark for termites, but it could be the photo. I saw termites flying (actually turned over the log) a few weeks back. Have been seeing fire ants and the big red ants flying out of mounds in the last couple of weeks.
Posted By: elcasador
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 06:24 PM
Were they making little holes with piles of dust next to them?
No they were on the wall above a window. The home is pier and beam with wood floors. It's been about 5 years since we've done any termite preventative treatment.
Posted By: Jimbo1
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 06:29 PM
I would be climbing under the house looking for mud tubes. You're fortunate to be pier and beam, a lot easier to treat. Good luck.
Posted By: easton1025
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 11:39 PM
Do you homework and get bids..I had several companies out to look at a problem I may have had...One company wanted 2100 dollars and said I was infested with them..Brought 2 independent guys out and they determined I had a very isolated nest and it was cured with some foam they put in the wall...Both independent guys wanted the service call 75 and 75 for the application...Both gave me a written guarantee for 18 months....
Posted By: elcasador
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 07/31/14 11:41 PM
Ok, the pros came and "they are definitely not termites," his exact words. I can't remember the name but it's an ant. Still a problem but not as serious as termites.
Posted By: Halfadozen
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 08/01/14 02:42 AM
Where is Dragonuv when you need him?
Posted By: catslayer
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 08/01/14 12:22 PM
hey we had a pile of cut wood at the ranch and this spring. Pulled up and hear this popping noise, after investgating the wood pile was FULL of little pin holes with sawdust coming out. I found an active critter and dug it out with a knife. It was some little grub. What were they?
Posted By: Dragonuv
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 08/03/14 05:16 AM
Just saw this.
They definitely are not termites, and they don't look like carpenter ants either. From the looks of the top right specimen, they look like either fireant swarmers or acrobat ant swarmers. Without a better picture, its hard to tell. All ant species swarm, but just a few will still swarm this late in the summer.
Go to the feed store and buy some Maxforce Complete Insect Granules. No need to spend more than $25 to take care of them. If you have any questions on application, please feel free to PM me,
Catslayer...you're probably hearing the Cambian Bark Beetle. The fine dust and tunnels seen under tree bark, especially cut wood, and mostly mesquite, are results of the beetle larvae(grub) and not the adult beetle.
Posted By: elcasador
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 08/04/14 02:11 AM
There he is! Thanks Dragonuv, will do.
Posted By: ttubudd
Re: Winged Ant or Termite? - 08/04/14 07:52 PM
Where are you in DFW? We're up in Plano and just found a bunch of these guys in our master bath.