Termites are social insects that resemble ants a lot and feed mainly on wood. In terms of appearance, termites look a lot like ants, but they are actually not the same as ants. The difference between ants and termites may be clear to an expert, but to a layperson, they probably would not be able to tell the difference.
The difference extends to the way termites build their nests compared to ants. Ant nests are mostly not as grand as the termite’s nests. Some termite species can build nests almost 10 meters tall and several meters wide at the base. These termite mounds dot the African plains and can even serve as landmarks. It is apparent that termites are much better architects than ants!
In certain regions, termites pose a problem for humans. They eat wood and won’t discriminate between wood in the wild and wood used to construct man made buildings. That’s why termites are the chief pests of wood in many countries around the world.