Termite workers, by comparison, are transparent, light or creamy white in color, and they avoid light. Color: Ant workers are reddish or dark-colored and are frequently seen in the open foraging for food.The loose wings can often be seen near the opening of a termite nest and can be used to identify a termite infestation. Another thing with termites is that their wings are not as durable as ants. The wings of the termite fall off easily. A carpenter ant’s back, hind wings are shorter than its front forewings and the wings do not look unusually long or disproportionate to its body. A termite has wings that are of equal size and shape and its wings are much longer than its body. You’d think, well, that’s not helpful, but honestly this characteristic is actually one of the better differentiating characteristics. Wings: Both insects are winged creatures and each has four wings.A termite has straight, beaded antennae, meanwhile, a carpenter ant’s antennae are bent or “elbowed.” Antennae: An insect's feelers can say a lot about the insect, too.In contrast, the carpenter ant has a very well-defined narrow, constricted waist. A termite has no "waist,” instead, its body is more rectangular, without any narrowing in the center. Body shape: If you look at the insect’s body shape, take a good look at the abdomen area.The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.Why this works: Ants hate the smell of garlic and will flee the plant once they catch a whiff of the spray. For an even more effective solution, mix in 2 tablespoons of baking soda and a quart of water so the ants will digest the baking soda and die. To create the garlic spray, you will need:Ĭombine all of these ingredients in a spray bottle before spraying all over your plant's leaves and soil. If you begin to notice a swarm of ants around your potted plants, spraying your botanicals with a garlic spray will remove the problem and keep your plants healthy. It's possible that your indoor plants can cause an infestation of ants, but routinely observing your potted babies and treating the first signs of an invasion keeps your plants healthy and your home ant-free. No queen, no eggs, no colony.Īnts of all kinds look for sweet smells, which is exactly the fragrance your indoor blooms produce. The hope is to give them a food source so fantastic they feel the need to take it back to the queen. The ants that consume it will be poisoned, but not before leaving scent trails that guide other ants to this new "food source". Why this works: Once consumed, borax is a slow-acting poison. It may be natural, but borax is still toxic. If you have small kids or pets, be sure to put it out of their reach. Then, place the mixture where the ants will find it. Mix together 3/4 teaspoon of borax with about 1/4 cup of the sweet or savory base of your choice. For pavement ants and other ants that like protein and grease: use something like peanut butter or Nutella.For sugar ants and other sweet-seeking ants: use something sweet like jelly, syrup, or honey.Identification is the first and most important step in pest control, so what you use for bait depends on the species of ants you're dealing with: To use borax to make ant bait, you'll need to mix it with something that appeals to ants as a food source.
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