The short answer: there's no difference — 'white ants' is just the common Australian name for termites, and they aren't actually ants at all. The confusion matters, because people dismiss 'white ants' as harmless when they're the same timber-destroying termites that wreck homes.
They're pale and roughly ant-sized, so the nickname stuck — but termites are a completely different insect, more closely related to cockroaches than to ants.
Termites have straight, bead-like antennae, a thick waist with no pinch, and (in the flying stage) two pairs of equal-length wings. Ants have bent antennae, a clearly pinched waist, and unequal wings. If you're seeing pale 'ants' in or around timber, treat them as termites.
Writing 'white ants' off as a minor ant problem — and hitting them with ant killer — is exactly the mistake that lets a termite colony spread deeper into your home.
Don't disturb or spray them. Book an inspection — it's termites, and the colony needs professional treatment to be eliminated.
Yes. 'White ants' is simply the Australian common name for termites — they're not actually ants.
They are termites, so yes — they cause the same structural timber damage. The harmless-sounding name just leads people to underestimate them.
No. They're termites, and ant spray only scatters the colony deeper into your home. Get an inspection instead.
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