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Termites

Usually, termite swarming either indoors or outside is the first indication to homeowners that they have a subterranean termite infestation. Swarming is the termite's method of dispersal and establishing new colonies. Subterranean swarmers emerge from the colonies at certain times of the year when conditions are suitable. Peak swarming season for the subterranean termites in Virginia is from March through June.

Winged ants are often confused with termites. (See Figure 2.) However, ants can be distinguished from termites by three distinct features. First, ants have elbowed antennae while termites have non-elbowed antennae. Second, ants have thin or thread-like "waists" between their abdomens and thoraxes while termites do not have "waists." Finally, if you are comparing two winged adults, you can differentiate between ants and termites by looking at their wings. The ants' second pair of wings is smaller than the first, while termites' pairs are equal in size.

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