Overview

Bugs R Us treats both termites and ants with the same commitment to fast-acting, long-lasting solutions, but clients don’t always recognize the difference between the two pests.

This blog outlines some of the key contrasts in behaviour, anatomy, and damage patterns, so that if there’s any doubt as to what’s invading your space, you’ll know what to look for. We also compare control methods and how a professional pest control service should respond.

Introduction

You see a trail of insects along your baseboards: They’re fast-moving and gathering near a window frame. Are they ants? Could they be termites? The truth is, at first glance, it’s easy to confuse the two.

While ants might be a nuisance, termites are a greater threat. Mistaking one for the other can delay the right treatment and lead to serious structural damage, but with a basic understanding of how they look, behave, and infest a space, you can gain quick relief with control and prevention.

Why Ant and Termite Infestations Get Confused

The biggest reason ant and termite infestations get confused is their anatomical similarities. Termites have broad, straight waists and straight antennae, and ants have narrow, pinched waists and elbowed antennae, but they look similar and often the same to the untrained eye. It’s also not exactly easy to get a closer look when they’re swarming across a baseboard or collecting near a window.

They also share a few behavioural tendencies. Both insects form large colonies, swarm during mating season, and often enter properties through cracks in foundations or gaps around windows. Again, any subtleties are easily overlooked without the experience or the tools to differentiate.

It’s also worth noting that ants and termites can cohabitate, and it’s possible to have both infestations simultaneously, something that can further complicate identification and delay treatment.

Are Termite or Ant Infestations More Likely?

This question really comes down to what causes each type of infestation in the first place. In theory, both ants and termites can appear in any home under the right conditions. However, depending on the season, moisture levels, and even how a property is maintained, you may be more likely to have one than the other. A stretch of warm, damp weather might attract termite activity, while a kitchen crumb trail left undisturbed could invite ants inside with more urgency.

The odds aren’t evenly split, and probability isn’t a reliable way to make a diagnosis, anyway. Termites often remain hidden until damage becomes visible, which makes them feel less common, even if they're present. Ants, on the other hand, present themselves early and often. They travel in the open and leave obvious trails, giving the impression that they’re the more frequent intruder.

Key Differences Between Ants and Termites

Despite certain difficulties, accurate identification isn’t impossible for the property owner. While a professional inspection and treatment are the best paths to relief if an infestation is present, a grasp of a few reliable clues is really all you need to make an informed guess in the moment and ultimately feel confident making that first phone call to a licensed company.

These include:

Ant vs Termite Damage

Damage is the most pressing concern with most insect infestations, so it’s important to know just what’s at stake when termites or ants are left unchecked in the structure of a property.

Ant damage depends a lot on the species. In some cases, damage isn’t really a concern at all. Many common household ants are more of a nuisance than a threat, scavenging for food without disturbing the structure around them. Carpenter ants, however, are the exception. These ants hollow out wood to create their nests, weakening beams and supports from the inside. In doing so, they’ll often leave piles of frass, which looks like sawdust.

Termite damage is more severe. With termites, the wood is actually consumed as part of the termite’s feeding process, often from the inside out. Since they avoid light and open air, termites typically remain hidden as they eat through structural elements like floor joists, wall studs, and subfloors. What makes them worse is how silently they work, and how advanced the damage can become before it’s noticed.

Where Ants and Termites Are Commonly Found

Location is another relevant differentiating factor. Ants tend to travel in visible, open lines, often appearing in kitchens, pantries, or along doorframes in search of food. They build their nests in relatively accessible areas, like in soil near the home. Their presence is usually discovered during daylight, and they’re more likely to move through exposed surfaces.

Termites, if you do find them, are usually uncovered by accident. They prefer hidden, humid spaces with little disturbance. Their pathways are often concealed within wood or behind layers of paint and drywall, which is why you may not notice their presence until you've opened up part of the structure or uncovered the unmistakable signs that they’ve been active for some time.

What Ants and Termites Feed On

Whether it’s ants or termites, no infestation can exist without sustenance. Both insects need access to reliable food sources, but they’re drawn to different things.

Ants want sugars, proteins, and fats—anything from fruit peels to grease residue will do. Their foraging is opportunistic, and they often return to the same source once it’s been found. Crumbs under appliances, pet food left out, or even the scent of an unsealed container can keep ants coming back.

Termites, on the other hand, rely on cellulose, which is found in wood, paper, and certain fabrics. They digest this material with the help of microorganisms in their guts. So, termites aren't attracted to food in the traditional sense because they feed on the building itself.

Which Is Worse for Your Home: Ants or Termites?

Even before any significant damage, you can’t brush off the inconvenience and uncertainty that these insects create. Early infestations can still feel gross and intrusive without costly damage being much of a factor or structural harm being a possible concern. Whether ants or termites are worse, in that regard, depends a lot on tolerance over threat. Both are understandably major causes of frustration.

However, here’s the reality: If we’re referring strictly to the kind of damage that affects the safety, stability, and value of a home, termites are far worse. Carpenter ants can be in a similar category of severity, but other ant species are more of a surface-level nuisance.

Do You Have Signs of an Ant or Termite Infestation?

The indications of an infestation, some of which have been discussed, tend to be more overt with ants.

Here are some of the signs to look out for:

Trails of ants moving to and from a food source
Small piles of dirt or debris near baseboards or walls
Ants emerging from outlets, vents, or cracks in the floor
Rustling or scratching sounds inside walls during peak activity
Winged ants swarming indoors near windows or lights

A termite infestation, in contrast, is more covert, but there are still signs that give one away.

These include:

Mud tubes along foundation walls or crawl spaces
Hollow-sounding wood when tapped
Paint or drywall that bubbles, buckles, or flakes
Doors and windows that suddenly stick without explanation
Small pinholes in drywall with fine, sand-like droppings nearby

Notice how some of these signs compare. “Small piles of dirt or debris” can look a lot like “mud tubes along foundation walls” without additional context. This is where professional interpretation matters.

Do Ant and Termite Control Protocols Differ?

Where ant and termite control protocols can differ most is in the treatment itself. It depends on the company you hire, but the pesticides, heat treatments, and fumigation strategies are often approached with different techniques and delivery methods with varying success rates. Many prove ineffective and more disruptive when the technician is inexperienced or working with unreliable products.

That’s why it’s worth choosing a service whose process is:

Proven effective: Backed by a consistent success rate and verified results
Long-lasting: Uses treatments with a residual effect that continues working over time
Fast-acting: Begins disrupting activity within hours, not days or weeks
Environmentally conscious: Targets the infestation without harming people, pets, etc.
Colony-focused: Designed to eliminate the root of the problem, not just symptoms

Steps Pest Control Companies Take To Address Ants and Termites

Though pest control companies have their own ways of identifying and resolving ant and termite infestations, each step should still generally fall into broad stages.

First is the inspection. The technicians can look for visual signs and use tools like bait stations to confirm the presence of the insects, if necessary. The next step is treatment, which is chosen based on the type of insect and, in some cases, the severity of the infestation. Finally, the technician conducts a follow-up assessment to ensure the treatment was successful and the long-term measures are proving effective. You’ll also receive a detailed written report.

Think You Have Ants or Termites? Book a Pest Inspection

If you suspect an infestation, don’t wait to find out the hard way. Bugs R Us offers expert pest inspection services backed by decades of experience and a record of 100% successful treatments.

Call (416) 396-1515 today and take the uncertainty out of the equation.