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Question: I found a small, black insect with wings in my bedroom. I am worried it might be a termite. Are there any other insects that might look like this?

Answer: When it comes to household pests, one of the most common inquiries brought to our helpline is the ant. They are often brought in with the misconception they could be termites. An accurate identification is necessary to first determine if it is a termite or ant, and then an appropriate control measure can be recommended. If you're not sure upon examination, you can collect several specimens in a watertight container filled with isopropyl alcohol and bring it to your county extension office.

When examining the insect, first look at its antennae. Ants have bent antennae instead of the straight, beadlike antennae of the termite. If you notice a constriction at the waist, you most likely are looking at an ant. The termite will have a thick waist. Next, look at the wings. Both have two pair of wings, but an ant's are unequal in length with the front pair much longer than the hind pair.

Of all the ants brought in, Carpenter ants are very common. Carpenter ants usually establish their colony outside in a tree stump or buried wood. In the wild, these insects help in the decomposition of decaying wood. They can move to a nearby building if the colony is disturbed or they are foraging for food. Once in the home, their search for food can cause them to create tunnels in wood. They usually do not tunnel through sound, dry wood. Rather, they go to moist, rotting wood or insulation board. Rarely does their presence cause structural damage.

Carpenter ants do not use the wood as a food source as termites do. They eat other insects as well as honeydew, a substance produced by plant-feeding insects, plant fluids and household food items. A colony produces winged males once established. The winged ants develop in the summer, remain in the nest during winter, and then emerge to reproduce the following spring and early summer. The presence of one or two winged ants indoors does not necessarily indicate an infestation, but a large number of them should be investigated.

A yellow ant is also mistaken for a winged termite. Yellow ants are known to swarm through cracks in basement walls or floors and are attracted to light. To distinguish them from a carpenter ant, look for an uneven thorax body segment. The most important step to control ants is to find their nest and destroy it. Once discovered, treatment can be made in the crevice, thus reducing or eliminating the problem.

Mona Bawgus is a certified master gardener and consumer horticulturist with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County. Write to her c/o Rutgers Cooperative Extension, 6260 Old Harding Highway, Mays Landing, NJ 08330. E-mail:

bawgus_mona@aclink.org

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