You, as a home owner, can easily discourage termite infestations by never stacking old scraps of lumber or firewood next to a home and by calling a pest management professional once a year to make sure the termites haven't gained access. A termite colony is large, composed of the queen, king, winged reproductive swarmers, soldiers, and workers. Worker termites are small, creamy white insects. They are the most numerous and the cause of all the termite damage. This form of termite can be easily confused with a winged ant.
Homeowners often confuse termites with ants, and understandably so.
In fact, swarmers are often confused with flying ants. It's important to know the subtle differences between the two pests to accurately identify termites. While both ants and termites may have two pairs of wings, the ant's wings will be different sizes while both pairs of the termites' wings will be the same size. Termites will remove their wings after a period of time and, as such, several wings are usually found when a swarm occurs. Ants have narrow waists and elbowed antennae, while termites have broad waists and short, straight antennae.