If you have never seen what a termite looks like, consider yourself lucky. Chances are, if you have never seen a termite, you have never had a termite infestation in your home.

Termites can cause extensive damage to wooden structures and, in some cases, can require the need for structures to be torn down and demolished. But if you are concerned that you might have termites, here's a little information about what termite look like.

In some ways, termites resemble ants. However, there are many distinct differences. For one, the legs of termites are much shorter than those of their and cousins. Termites also are slightly bigger and have larger heads with antennae that extend outward in a straight line. In addition, there are termites that have wings and those who do not.

Termite ColonyTermites exist in the colony, and there are different types of termites within the same colony. The workers are usually the highest in number and are likely the ones to be eating the wood inside your walls. They basically do all the work while the Queen, the soldiers, and the swarmers reap the benefits.

Termite Looks Like

The king termite is not that much larger than a normal termite. The Queen, however, can vary in size depending on what stage of the reproductive cycle she is in. For instance, when she is laying eggs her abdomen can increase in size dramatically and make her vulnerable.

This is where the soldier termites come into play. These termites are equipped with an orange colored protective head coating. In addition, they also have offensive pincers that can fight off attacking ants.

There are many resources on the World Wide Web that you can check out to find detailed pictures of termites. If you were worried that you may have a termite infestation in your home, it is good to know what termite look like.