White Ants vs Termites: Are They the Same Thing?

White ants and termites are the same insect. White ants is just the common Australian name for termites, and there is no separate pest called a white ant. Same insect, same risk to your home, same treatment. If someone tells you that you have white ants, you have termites.

Why we call them white ants

The name has stuck in Australia for generations, probably because a worker termite is pale and roughly ant-sized. But termites are not ants at all. They are a separate insect group, more closely related to cockroaches, and they live and behave very differently from the ants you see marching across a bench.

How to tell termites from ants

The quickest tells are colour and waist. Termites are pale and straight-sided along the body. Ants are darker and have a pinched-in waist. The mess they leave behind differs too. Ant frass is fine, black and dusty, while termite workings are a solid brown mud. If you are seeing pale insects or mud near timber, leave it undisturbed and have the property looked at. If the ones you are seeing have wings, our guide on flying termites vs flying ants helps you tell them apart.

What to do if you find them

Do not spray them or break open the area. That scatters the colony and makes it harder to trace. In Sydney the species that matters is the subterranean termite, which works out of sight inside timber and behind walls, so the damage is often well underway before anything shows. An inspection with a thermal imaging camera and a moisture meter locates the activity without disturbing it.

If you think you have white ants, that is termites, and it is worth having the property inspected properly.

Common questions

Are white ants and termites really the same thing?
Yes. White ants is the everyday Australian name for termites. There is no separate insect called a white ant. The treatment is the same either way.

Are white ants dangerous to my house?
The insect people call a white ant is a termite, and subterranean termites feed on the timber in your home around the clock. Left alone they cause structural damage, which is why an annual inspection is the standard advice.

How do I get rid of white ants?
The same way you deal with termites: an inspection to find the activity, then either a chemical barrier or a baiting system depending on your situation. Spraying the ones you can see does not deal with the colony.

If you have found something you think might be white ants, book a termite inspection and I will take a proper look.