Knock the cocoons down with a rake or broom. I don't know if I have ants or termites swarming. When homeowners notice the swarms, they panic. Termites' bodies are narrow, with no pinched waist. Termites have short, straight antennae, whereas ants have long, bent antennae.
Termites can severely damage a home.
If you find termites in your yard, it does not necessarily mean you have termites in your house, but you should look around the house for signs of infestation. Look for mud tubes emerging from the ground around the foundation or on pipes coming up through the foundation. Termites build these mud tunnels to travel to and from their underground nests. The extension office has a fact sheet about termites. Dotty Woodson is the Tarrant County extension agent for horticulture with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service.