Winged termites,( AKA alates or primary reproductives) are usually the first sign of an active colony that a home or business owner will notice. Termites are social insects with distinct individuals performing specific tasks within the colony. Worker termites gather all the provision for the colony and cause damage to structures. Soldier and reproductive termites (responsible for colony defense and expansion respectively) are so specialized that they cannot even feed themselves and must be attended to by the workers. Each spring swarming termites cause panic among homeowners. The first question to ask is are these termites or flying ants. Termite swarmers have several characteristics that distinguish them from ants. They are 3/8-in. (body and wings) long, dark colored with straight antennae and two pair of equal length wings (termites belong to the insect order Isoptera which means equal wings). Ant swarmers size vary by species, have three distinct body regions, (termites appear to only have two) elbowed antennae and two pair of unequal wings. If you have swarming insects or find small piles of wings in your home during the spring and are unsure what they are, please save them and contact us @ 1-800-525-8084 for proper identification.