04/07/2026
On Friday evening, we had an extraordinary event across several counties in Southern Indiana: a massive swarm of ants. That’s right, flying ants.
These are known as alates and are the future kings and queens of new colonies.
Now don’t freak out. This does not automatically mean you are infested.
The ant likely responsible for this swarm was a black field ant. These ants are not what we would typically consider a structural pest.
More importantly, do not confuse them with a termite alate. Yes, termites can have wings too.
Here’s how to tell the difference between ant swarmers (flying ants) and termite swarmers (flying termites):
If the body looks more wasp-like with a pinched waist, it is an ant.
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A termite’s body looks more uniform from end to end.
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The next feature is the antennae. Ant antennae are bent or elbowed.
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Termite antennae are straight.
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One of the easiest ways I tell them apart is wing size. Both ants and termites have 4 wings: an upper pair and a lower pair.
With ants, the front wings are larger and the back wings are smaller, so the two pairs are different sizes.
With termites, all four wings are about the same size.
If you are seeing termite swarmers inside your home, or even swarming right around the structure, it is time to give us a call so we can make sure your home is not being damaged.
