Ants vs. Termites
Even though these bugs have a lot in common, if you know what to look for, you can tell the difference between them pretty easily. Termites have two pairs of wings that are of equal length. While ants also have two pairs, the wings in the front are larger than wings in back. Termites have straight antennae; ants' are elbowed. The waist area of a termite is thick, while an ant's is thin. Termites are typically harder to find due to their habits of eating and hiding in wood. Ants on the other hand like to scout pretty openly for food sources. Termites also produce wood/mud waste and evidence, dirtier tunnels compared to ants that have clean tunnels.
Wood destroying fungi
Carpenter Bees & Ants
Wood destroying beetles
The most common signs of wood-boring beetles are holes and tunnels in wood. Visible holes typically indicate that the larvae have already left the wood. ... Powderpost beetles leave holes no larger than 1/8 inch in diameter while common furniture beetles leave holes up to 1/2 inch in diameter. Some species will re infest
Many people may mix up bumble bees and carpenter bees, for their unique size. Bumble bees have a hairy abdomen that may have some yellow markings. - Carpenter bees have a bare, shiny black abdomen.
Carpenter Ants
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Spot large black ants or large black and red ants in or on your house.
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Find piles of wood shavings or sawdust beneath wooden areas like baseboards, door jambs, and window sills.
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See long ant trails or ant paths in your lawn. Carpenter ants will travel long distances to forage for food and bring it back to the nest.
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Hear faint rustling noises in your walls or inside your woodwork. Carpenter ants burrow into the woodwork to create their nests, and they make noise when scraping out the wood particles.
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Find large winged ants coming from your ceilings, walls, floor joists and other hidden cracks and crevices