In my teens and early twenties I had a variety of jobs – usually in the printing industry. However, one spring I worked as a commercial salesperson for a pest control company. As part of their training I spent a couple of weeks with the guys who did the inspections and also with the guy who did the chemical treatments.
It was a miserable job, but I learned a few useful things:
- I know how big of an opening a mouse needs in order to gain entrance to your home (dime sized) or a rat (about the size of a quarter).
- I can tell the difference between mouse poop and rat poop.
- I know what a powder post beetle looks like.
- And most importantly… I know how to tell the difference between an ant and a termite.
Which brings me to the point of this post…
Yesterday we got a call from a client who recently bought an investment property. He had the usual inspections, including one for termites. However, when he went to pull up an old carpet he found some wood damage and a small pile of sawdust-like shavings nearby. Of course his first thought was TERMITES! However, the small pile of shavings were a clue that this was likely ant damage and not the result of termites.
So the pest control guy went over for another look and confirmed that the damage was indeed caused by ants and not by termites. Ants can do a lot of damage to a home, but they don’t create the fear that the word “termite” does.
It is not surprising that the termite inspector missed the ant infestation. A good inspector should thoroughly inspect all accessible areas inside and outside of your home, BUT he cannot pull up carpet or cut into your walls. Damage from ants and termites usually occurs from the inside out. So unless your inspector has Superman’s x-ray vision…
Anyway…I have added a Termites or Ants? page to our “Resources” section. On that page is an illustration that shows the differences between an ant and a termite and I have also included a link to additional information.
So take a moment and learn a little bit about ants and termites. Spring is prime time for reproductive insect swarms and you might be glad you know how to tell the difference.
-Cindee
