How to tell Termites form Winged Ants
All termites have a "thick waist" where their abdomen is joined to their middle body region (thorax); but all ants have a "pinched-in" waist at that point.
Termites have antennae that look like a "string of beads" but all ants have distinctly "elbowed" antennae.
Termites swarmers have two pairs of long narrow wings with very few clearly visible veins, and both the front and back pair are nearly equal in size and length. Winged ants have two pairs of wings with several distinct cross veins, shaped like long triangles and the back pair is much shorter than the front pair.
DRYWOOD TERMITES
Drywood termite live in wood which has a fairly low moisture content. Unlike their subterranean cousins, drywood termites do not have any contact with the soil or any other moisture source. They get their needed moisture from the wood they live in.
Drywood termites, though they often live in humid coastal areas, can be transported to other places in infested furniture, picture frames, decorative wooden pieces or wood used in construction.
Drywood termites live in smaller colonies, increase in population more slowly and do not build mud shelter tubes. While their damage is rather localized, multiple colonies can cause considerable damage.
SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES
Subterranean Termites build nests in the ground. They search (forage) for wood (food) farther and farther from their nest as their colony numbers grow.
Forages may make underground tunnels or above ground "shelter" tubes of mud, fexes and debris. These tunnels are then used to search for new food sources and to connect their nest to their food.
They can enter a building without direct wood contact with the soil through such tubes. Termites can enter buildings through cracks, expansion joints, foam insulation, hollow bricks or concrete blocks, or through spaces around plumbing.
They can find their way into a structure thorough an opening as small as 1/32nd of an inch. Any building, whether constructed with a slab, basement or crawl foundation can be infested with termites.