Have you found transparent silver wings on your window sills or back porch–or worse–have you found a swarm of winged insects crawling around on the wood in your backyard? There are two types of insects that are drawn to moist, decaying wood, and neither of them are good to have in your backyard. Let’s take a look.

What are these winged insects?

Carpenter ants and termites are both a swarming insect that you will find crawling on wood. Neither of these two insects are good to have in your backyard, but termites are decidedly more dangerous. Each year carpenter ants do millions of dollars to property in the United States. Termite damage is in the billions.

How do I tell them apart?

There are two distinct way to tell the difference between termite swarmers and ant swarmers. If you’re bold enough to grab one by the wings, you can lift it up and examine its body. Ant swarmers will have a very thin waist, termites have no waist at all. If you are not bold enough to pick them up, you can look to see if there are wingless ants crawling around with the swarmers. The presence of these wingless ants is a clear sign that you have an ant swarm.

Is it possible for this swarm to pass me by?

If you have a termite swarm in your yard you should know that it is a very bad sign. Termite colonies do not swarm at first. The colony must mature. This can take a few years. You should also know that swarmers are terrible fliers and they will not be found too far from this mature colony. Often the mature colony is on your property, or inside your home. That means you have a termite colony that has been eating your home for several years. And, even if it didn’t originate from your home, it will not be passing you by. Termite swarmers don’t go far.

One more thing to know.

A swarm can happen quickly. If it does, you may not see the swarm, but instead, find your yard littered with the wings they shed after mating. If you find wings, you should immediately call a pest control company.

If you live in our area, you should never be without termite protection. Subterranean termites are a ferocious and silent wood eater. Don’t wait till you see the swarms. Get your home equity protected today.