Termites are small, soft-bodied insects, about 1/8 to 1/2 inch long, with straight bead-like antennae, a thick waist and no pinch between the thorax and abdomen. Workers are pale cream and look almost see-through. Swarmers (flying termites) are brown to black with two pairs of equal-length wings. If you see a bug that looks like a white ant, it is very likely a termite.
Below are termite pictures by caste and species, actual sizes, colors, and a side-by-side guide to telling termites from ants and other look-alikes.
Table of Contents
What Do Termites Look Like? Quick ID Checklist
- Antennae: straight, like a string of tiny beads. Ants have bent, elbowed antennae.
- Waist: thick and straight, so the body looks like one tube. Ants have a narrow, pinched waist.
- Wings (swarmers only): two pairs of the same length, reaching well past the tip of the body. Ant front wings are longer than the back wings.
- Body: soft, pale and slightly translucent in workers. Ants are hard and shiny.
- Where you see them: inside wood, mud tubes or soil. Workers avoid light, so you rarely see them in the open.
Every termite has three body parts: a head with the antennae and chewing mouthparts, a thorax carrying six legs (and wings on swarmers), and a long abdomen. The drawing below shows the layout.
Termite Pictures by Caste
A termite colony has three castes, and each looks different. Most people only ever see swarmers or workers.
Worker termites
Workers make up most of the colony and cause the damage. They are creamy white, wingless, blind and about 1/4 inch long or smaller. Their bodies look soft, almost like tiny grains of rice with legs. You find them when you break open damaged wood or a mud tube.
Soldier termites
Soldiers have the same pale body as workers but a much larger, darker head: yellow, orange-brown or reddish, with long jaws (mandibles) at the front. The head can make up a third of the body length. They guard the colony and do not eat wood.
Swarmers (flying termites)
Swarmers, also called alates, are the winged males and females that leave to start new colonies. They are the termites people notice. Bodies are dark brown to black in most subterranean species, and pale yellow to reddish-brown in drywood and Formosan termites. The four wings are clear or milky, the same size, and break off easily after the flight. Piles of shed wings on windowsills are a classic sign. See our guide to flying termites for what a swarm means.
Baby termites (nymphs)
Baby termites are tiny, white and almost transparent, and look like smaller workers. They grow by molting. Some nymphs develop wing buds and become swarmers. Read more in the termite life cycle guide.
Queen and king
The king looks like a large swarmer without wings. A mature queen has a swollen, pale abdomen packed with eggs and can reach an inch or more in some species. They stay deep inside the nest, so you will almost never see them.
Termite Pictures by Type
| Type | Swarmer color and size | Where they live | Key sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subterranean | Dark brown to black, 1/4 to 1/2 inch | Soil; every US state except Alaska | Mud tubes on walls and foundations |
| Formosan | Pale yellow to yellowish-brown, hairy wings | Southern US and Hawaii | Evening swarms around lights; carton nests |
| Drywood | Light brown to reddish-brown, about 3/8 to 7/16 inch | Dry wood; coastal South, Southwest and California | Piles of six-sided pellets (frass) |
| Dampwood | Brown, about 1/2 inch or more; the largest US termites | Wet, rotting wood; Pacific coast and Florida | Soft, damp wood; no mud tubes |
Subterranean termites
The most common and destructive termites in the US. Workers are cream-colored and about 1/4 inch long; soldiers have rectangular brownish heads with large jaws. They live in the soil and travel to wood through pencil-width mud tubes to stay moist. More in the subterranean termites guide.
Formosan termites
An invasive subterranean species with very large colonies, averaging around 350,000 termites. Swarmers are pale yellow to brownish-yellow with hairy wings and swarm at dusk after warm, rainy weather. Soldiers have oval, tapered heads. See Formosan termites.
Drywood termites
Drywood termites live inside dry wood such as furniture, window frames, attic timbers and floors, and need no contact with soil. They are cream to light brown with short legs; swarmers are light to reddish-brown. Their calling card is frass: tiny, hard, six-sided pellets that look like sawdust or coffee grounds, pushed out of small kick-out holes. See termite droppings for pictures.
Dampwood termites
The largest termites in the US. Soldiers reach about 3/4 inch, with reddish-brown to black heads and cream bodies. They need wet or decaying wood, so they point to a leak or moisture problem. They leave little outside evidence and build no mud tubes. See dampwood termites.
How Big Are Termites?
| Termite | Typical length | About the size of |
|---|---|---|
| Subterranean worker | 1/8 to 1/4 inch | A grain of rice |
| Subterranean swarmer | 1/4 to 1/2 inch with wings | A small ant with long wings |
| Drywood swarmer | 3/8 to 7/16 inch | A pencil eraser tip |
| Dampwood soldier | About 3/4 inch | A paper clip’s width |
| Queen (mature) | 1 inch or more | A small grape, in the largest species |
What Color Are Termites?
- White or cream: workers, nymphs and soldier bodies. These are the “white ants” people find in wood.
- Black or dark brown: subterranean swarmers. Black termites flying indoors in spring are almost always these.
- Red or reddish-brown: drywood swarmers and many soldier heads.
- Yellow or tan: Formosan swarmers and some dampwood termites.
What Termite Nests, Holes and Mud Tubes Look Like
Subterranean termites nest underground and build mud tubes, brown tunnels about the width of a pencil, up foundations, walls and pipes. Break a piece off: live tubes may have white workers inside. Formosan termites also build carton nests of chewed wood and soil inside walls. In tropical countries some species build large mounds or tree nests like the ones pictured.
Drywood termites nest inside the wood they eat. Their only visible holes are tiny kick-out holes, about 1/16 inch or smaller, which they use to push out pellets and then seal. Round exit holes with fine powder usually belong to beetles instead.
Do Termites Bite?
Not in any way that matters to people. Workers chew wood, and soldiers have strong jaws for fighting ants and other termites, so a soldier picked up by hand may give a tiny pinch. Termites aren’t venomous and aren’t known to spread disease to people. The damage they do is to wood, not to you. If you see termites inside, see signs of termites for what to check next.
Bugs That Look Like Termites
| Look-alike | How to tell it apart |
|---|---|
| Flying ants | Pinched waist, elbowed antennae, front wings longer than back wings. See flying ants vs termites. |
| Carpenter ants | Large, black or red-and-black, hard shiny bodies. They hollow out wood but leave clean galleries and sawdust-like shavings, not mud. |
| Acrobat ants | Heart-shaped abdomen they raise over the body when disturbed. |
| Powderpost beetles | Hard-shelled beetles. Damage shows as round pin-sized exit holes and flour-fine powder. |
| Carpenter bees | Large bees that bore perfectly round, half-inch holes in wood, usually on eaves and decks. |
| Old house borers | Beetle larvae that make a ticking or rasping sound in wood, with oval exit holes. |
Found Termites? What to Do Next
- Collect a sample. Put a few insects or wings in a sealed bag or jar, or take a sharp close-up photo, for identification.
- Leave the area alone. Spraying or breaking open wood scatters the colony and makes a professional inspection harder.
- Look for other signs: mud tubes, piles of wings, frass, hollow-sounding wood or bubbling paint. See signs of termites.
- Get an inspection. Many pest control companies inspect for free. Read what to expect in termite inspection cost, then compare termite treatment costs.
DIY termite monitoring and treatment
- Termite bait stations to monitor for subterranean termites around the house
- Borate wood treatment for exposed, unfinished wood
- Termite foam for small, spot infestations in wall voids
DIY products help with monitoring and small spots. An active infestation in your home usually needs professional treatment.
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Termite FAQs
Termites look like small, pale ants with a thick waist and straight antennae. Workers are creamy white and about 1/4 inch long. Flying termites are brown or black with four equal-length wings.
Worker termites are white or cream. Swarmers are dark brown to black in subterranean species, reddish-brown in drywood termites and yellowish in Formosan termites. Soldiers have a pale body with a darker orange, red or brown head.
Most termites are 1/8 to 1/2 inch long. Workers are the smallest at about 1/4 inch or less. Dampwood soldiers reach about 3/4 inch, and a mature queen can exceed an inch.
Termites have straight antennae, a thick straight waist and wings of equal length. Ants have elbowed antennae, a narrow pinched waist and front wings longer than the back wings.
Yes. Termites are big enough to see without magnification, but workers stay hidden inside wood, soil and mud tubes. Most people first see swarmers, shed wings or mud tubes.
More Termite Guides
- Flying termites (swarmers): pictures and what to do
- Termite life cycle and castes
- Termite droppings (frass)
- Termite damage pictures and repair cost
- Do termites bite humans?
- Termite tenting cost and preparation
- How to prevent termites
Sources
- UF/IFAS Extension: Drywood and dampwood termites
- National Pest Management Association: Subterranean termites
- National Pest Management Association: Formosan termites
- National Pest Management Association: Drywood termites
Facts in this guide are checked against the sources above and reviewed when they change. See how we research in our editorial policy.