Q.  We were out in our yard last weekend putting up decorations when we noticed small bugs flying up out of our yard. They were thick groups of them coming out of small holes that looked like grains of rice clumped together in bunches. There had to be thousands of them. The “exodus” lasted for about an hour and then it was done with no sign they had been there.  Can you tell what they are?  Are they harmful?  Do we need to do something to get rid of them? Flying ants or termites. The length of the wings suggests termites but a visual check of the bodies and antennae need to be done. A. These look like winged ants or possibly winged termites. It was difficult to tell from your picture. They both swarm in identical fashions. The ants are just a nuisance. If these are termites then you may have a problem. You need to catch some of these insects and look at their body shape, antennae and length of their wings. Ants have a constricted waist or segmented body parts. Termites do not have these segmented body parts and body parts are not as easy to distinguish.  I have provided a link on my blog for you to follow or you can type the following into your search engine that will help you identify the difference between the two different insects.  How to tell the difference between ants and termites If you believe these are termites contact a reliable pest control company and schedule a follow-up. Follow the link below or on my blog to read information about flying ants from Colorado State University. More about flying ants