How To Tell The Difference Between Termite Damage and An Ant Infestation?

Do you have termites? It could be ants instead. First of all, termites consume cellulose (wood). So, if you find wood shavings, sawdust, or other similar debris, it is probably not termites. Drywood termites leave pellets behind, but they are not a naturally occurring termite in Cleveland, OH. Sometimes, they come out of imported furniture, but that’s about it.

Sometimes, debris is not bug-related at all. Make sure someone didn’t drill into wood to run a wire. Debris from ants is a result of them excavating and maintaining their nest. Did you know that most ants never leave the nest? They are broken down and disposed of with the excavated frass when they die. Any suspicious debris caused by ants must have ant body parts mixed in.

Termites are soft-bodied and require protection from drying out. As a result, they form mud tubes to move in. You will unlikely see termites out in the open inside your home. This mud can also be found inside the wood that they are consuming. They consume the spring wood. Their galleries go with the grain. In contrast, carpenter ants create smooth, clean tunnels to live.