It’s every homeowner’s nightmare: you open your door to find a swarm of ants marching into your home. Or, you spot a line of those annoying little termites making their way across your wooden foundation.
You might think that since both of these insects can do serious damage to your home, they must be equally bad. But that’s not actually the case!
Termites are the more destructive of the two insects. Termite infestation can cause major structural damage to your home if left unchecked. A termite infestation is also faster and more prolific than carpenter ant infestation, meaning it can cause a lot more damage in a shorter amount of time.
Let’s take a closer look at how carpenter ants and termites differ and which is worse for your home (and why!).
What Are Carpenter Ants: At a Glance
You’ve probably seen carpenter ants eat wood around your home before. They’re large, black insects that measure about half an inch long and have segmented antennae that extend slightly past their head.
Carpenter ants get their name from the tunnels they build in wood, which often lead to their nests. These ants are usually found outdoors, but if they get indoors, they can quickly infest your house by building more tunnels, decaying wood and moving into other areas of your home.
Carpenter ants damage homes by burrowing into damp or rotting wood and creating large nests within the wood. Although carpenter ants don’t eat wood like termites, their tunnels weaken the wood’s structure over time.
Since carpenter ants feed on other insects, they are beneficial to the ecosystem. But that doesn’t mean they won’t cause damage to your house!
What Are Termites: At a Glance
Termites are small, cream-colored insects that measure about an eighth of an inch long. They have straight antennae and soft bodies.
Unlike ants, termites don’t have eyes or wings. Their food source is wood; they will eat just about any type of wood, including furniture and plant stalks.
Termites are non-native insects that have been introduced to many parts of the world by humans who transport plants and trees over long distances. Many species of termites can actually build their nests underground or inside buildings.
Unlike ants, subterranean termites don’t usually cause significant structural damage to homes on their own. However, they will build their nests in wood that has been damaged by moisture or rotting and then feed off of the wood’s nutrients, causing the wood to rot even further.
So while ants can cause damage to your home by burrowing into floorboards or walls, termites are much worse because they can feed off of wood that is already rotting (we’ll go into more detail about the damage difference between ants and termites below).
Carpenter Ants vs Termites: Size
Let’s start with the most obvious difference between carpenter ants and termites: size!
Carpenter ants are about half an inch long, while termites are only about an eighth of an inch long. This means carpenter ants are easily visible to the human eye, while termites can be almost invisible if you don’t know what to look for.
But size also affects how these insects actually cause damage to your home. As mentioned above, carpenter ants burrow into wood to build their nests. This puts extra pressure on the wood and weakens its structure over time.
Termites, on the other hand, don’t actually burrow into the wood like ants do. They feed off of pre-existing damage to the wood instead, which means that they can quickly cause even more damage if left unchecked.
Carpenter Ants vs Termites: Characteristics and Behavior
Let’s take a closer look at the typical characteristics and behavior of carpenter ants and termites.
Carpenter ants have large, segmented antennae that extend slightly past their head. Their bodies are black in color, with reddish-yellow legs. They also feed on other insects as well as plant matter, making them beneficial to the ecosystem.
Termites, on the other hand, have straight antennae and soft bodies with no eyes or wings. They are cream-colored in color and will feed off wood from any source, causing significant damage if left unchecked.
Carpenter ants tend to build their nests outside of your home, in things like stumps and fallen logs. They usually feed at night, and they will sometimes swarm during the summer months.
By contrast, termites are often found inside buildings because they easily adapt to human environments. They also eat wood 24 hours a day, which means that even if you don’t see signs of damage right away, they could be slowly destroying your home without you realizing it.
Carpenter Ants vs Termites: Overall Damage
So, which of these pests is worse for your home: carpenter ants or termites?
In general, termites are much more destructive to homes and other buildings because they feed off of pre-existing damage in wood. This means that even small amounts of damage can quickly get out of hand if left unchecked.
Carpenter ants may be known as the most aggressive wood destroyers in the ant world, but since they don’t actually feed off of wood, they are not as destructive to your home as termites. See What Damage Can Carpenter Ants Do?
Since termites are so small, it can be difficult to spot them at first. Termites have been estimated to damage approximately 600,000 American homes each year, while carpenter ants only cause minor damage to a handful of homes yearly.
So if you are concerned about the structural integrity of your house, it is better to focus on preventing termite infestations rather than simply trying to control ants. This could include regular inspections for signs of damage and treating any existing damage as soon as possible.
Overall, carpenter ants can be a nuisance, but they are not nearly as destructive as termites. If you want to protect your home from insect damage, it is essential to keep an eye out for signs of infestation and address any issues promptly.
The Bottom Line
So, which pest is worse for your home: carpenter ants or termites?
In general, termites tend to cause more damage to homes than carpenter ants. Because termites feed on wood, they can quickly destroy wooden structures like floors, walls, and furniture.
Carpenter ants, on the other hand, rarely feed on wood and will only cause minor damage to houses in very specific circumstances.