Carpenter Ants

What Is A Carpenter Ant?

With six legs, two antennae, and three main body parts, the carpenter ant can be pretty intimidating. Their blackish and reddish bodies also help them blend in with everyday objects, which makes them more of a threat than most would imagine. That being said, it is not likely you’ll see a carpenter ant by itself. This is because these insects are reliant on each other. So much so that they travel together in large numbers, live together, work towards a common goal, and some even feed the others. While these critters are not a physical threat, they can do major structural damage to a piece of property.

They have powerful mandibles that allow them to chew and burrow into wood structures. The workers, which are the ones doing the chewing, can grow to be as large as ½ inch long, while the queen can grow to be a long as 5/8 inches.

The Early Warning Signs Of Carpenter Ants

It doesn’t matter what type of insect you are dealing with, you are much better of with early detection. This will not only limit the damage that the insect can do to the home and property, but it’ll end up saving you some money in the long. Not only in structural damage, but in extermination costs. That being said, the only way to tell whether or not you are dealing with carpenter ants is by keeping a vigilant eye. Here are some key things you’ll want to remember:

• Sight – If you have a carpenter ant problem, you’ll see large black and red ant insects foraging in and around the home.
• Sawdust Trails – Carpenter ants can burrow into wood structures and beams where they’ll build nests. Anytime wood is cut into there is a trail of sawdust left behind. Keep an eye out for a large amount of sawdust around your wooden structures.
• Sound – It might be entirely possible for you to put your ear against the wall and hear the critters rustling inside.
• Winged Ants – Ants might travel in groups, but there are also times when the winged invaders will venture off on their own. Sometimes they are looking for food and sometimes they might be looking for a place to start a new separate colony. Whatever the situation, this could be a sign of an infestation. Look for winged invaders in and around the home. If you spot one or two they are likely foraging or looking to start a new colony.

Why Is My Home Invaded With Carpenter Ants?

You wouldn’t think so, but there are two good things about carpenter ants. The first is, they prefer rotten wood over sound wood. This means when they move into your home and start building colonies, they’ll do so in the rotted wood first. While this will likely cause the structure to collapse faster, rotten wood is something that would have needed repairing eventually anyway. The second is, they prefer the outdoors. They don’t want to be in your home. If they are it likely means they are only seeking food or shelter. All that being said, these insects are extremely determined and will find their way into your property via eaves, door frames, window frames, plumbing, and utility lines.

Are Carpenter Ants A Threat?

From what you can see above, carpenter ants be extremely destructive to any wood source. While they prefer rotten wood, they will chew through sound wood just as well. It is only that they prefer the rotten wood and will then move their way onto the sound wood. Despite this, they aren’t much of a physical threat. They won’t bite, sting, or transmit diseases.

How Do I Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants?

Carpenter ants are extremely difficult to eliminate. This is not only because they are social creatures, but they build expansive networks of tunnels leading from the outside of the home to the inside. There isn’t just one entrance and one exit. There is a whole network of entrances and exits, making the pest a true nuisance to eliminate. You miss just one critter and it can easily venture back to the nest and rebuild. When you take advantage of our pest management services, you don’t have to worry about this because we utilize cutting-edge technology with tried and tested pest control methods.

Can I Treat Carpenter Ants Myself?

You just learned that carpenter ants build extensive networks of underground tunnels, making them one of the more difficult pests to eliminate. They don’t just have one entrance and exit in the home, they’ll have several that they can utilize on any given day. You combine this with the fact that a lot of pesticides just aren’t as effective as they used to be, and it makes the entire situation all that much worse. In addition to this, a lot of today’s over-the-counter chemicals don’t contain everything needed for an effective pest management routine.

The chemicals needed to successfully treat ants are illegal and can only be purchased by a licensed and trained individual. Any doing otherwise is doing so illegally. Combine this with their volatility, and you’ll see why it just makes sense to turn to the pros when dealing with carpenter ants.

When Will Help Get Here?

When dealing with any kind of pest, you likely want to get the problem rectified as soon as possible. This is completely understandable and why we are willing to adapt Our offices stay busy year-round, but we are always more than willing to adapt for our customers. After making that initial call to our offices, you can rest assured we’ll have someone out at the property within the next 24 to 48 hours.

If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.