Flying Ants

• Elbowed antennae
• Transparent wings 
• Fore wings larger than hind wings
• Ants have a lot of flight control and land and take off at will 
• Constricted waist
• Ants will keep their wings for a short period of time before snapping their wings off. 

Alates (Termites)

• Beaded  antennae
• Smokey to brown wings
• Fore and hind wings of equal size
• Alates tend to flutter in flight and drift with the wind
• Broad waist (compared to flying ants)
• Alates are not white but their colour can vary from cream to black (subterranean working termites tend to be white)
• Termites will snap their wings off when they land and look for a mate.

You should have had an up to date termite perimeter treatment carried out by Stewarts, to help prevent a new nest from starting or entering the building. Go to our Termite Control page for more information.

CAN TERMITE ALATES LAND ON A HOUSE AND BUILD A NEST?

Usually, the alates will crash into a tree and end up forming a nest at the base of the tree (a ready-made food source). However, when a building is involved, the termites usually end up under external concrete areas which provide food shelter from predators like black ants. The big downside is that the building becomes the ready-made food source! When considering the size of a home compared to a tree, the likelihood is much higher. High-risk areas like atriums, indoor gardens, courtyards and alike, are prime areas for alates to start a nest and are usually within the building.