Homes and businesses routinely seeing large black ants may have a serious problem. It is likely that those insects are carpenter ants, and this species is incredibly destructive to property.
Carpenter ant infestations are a common occurrence in Bucks County. Nonetheless, most people are not certain how to react. They may try to spray a few ants when they see them or perhaps put out an ant trap with poisonous bait.
Most often, people fail to understand the extent of the problem. Most think that spotting the ants in a room or two is the worst part. Unfortunately, carpenter ants do the vast majority of their destruction in places where people are unlikely to see it.
This makes it necessary for an exterminator to come in to determine the true extent of the infestation and to recommend the means for ending it.
WHAT DO CARPENTER ANTS LOOK LIKE?
Carpenter ants can appear similar to other types of ants found in Bucks County to the untrained eye. Accordingly, it is not unusual for homeowners to report discrepancies in the appearance of these ants.
In general, most carpenter ant workers range from one-quarter to one-half of an inch in length. Black is the most common color, though some species may be brown, red or a combination of colors.
Winged carpenter ants, which are the reproductive members of the colony, may swarm in the spring or early summer. In addition to having wings, these carpenter ants are larger than the workers, and their waist and antennae are shaped differently.
A carpenter ant swarm that occurs adjacent to or inside a home is a certain sign that an infestation is underway.
WHERE DO CARPENTER ANTS LIVE?
Carpenter ants build nests in wood. Using their mandibles, they excavate galleries. These have smooth walls that almost appear to have been sandpapered. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not use a mud-like material in their excavations, providing one way to distinguish between the two pests. Nonetheless, they will leave behind shredded bits of wood that they eject from their tunnels. These accumulations may include small parts of dead insects and ants, and are a giveaway that an infestation is underway unless these piles are hidden.
Moist or dry wood may be used for nesting, though the species does prefer damp conditions. This means that wood that is dampened or damaged by a water leak makes a likely nesting site. Accordingly, homeowners may find a nest adjacent to a bathtub, sink, roof, window frame or door frame where a leak is occurring. Hollow porch columns and the voids behind dishwashers are other common nesting spots.
It is not unusual for a carpenter ant colony to establish several nests, which may be located both inside and outside of a structure. A woodpile, landscaping timber or a tree stump provide likely outdoor nesting opportunities.
WHAT DO CARPENTER ANTS EAT?
Given that carpenter ants cause extensive damage to wooden structures, it seems natural for people to assume that these insects are actually eating the wood. However, this is not the case.
Carpenter ants eat sweet items and meat instead of wood. Honeydew is a favorite natural food source, and the insects' protein needs may be served by eating other insects.
Many human foods appeal to carpenter ants. These may include honey, peanut butter, jelly and meat. If pet food is left out in a bowl, then carpenter ants definitely will infest it.
CARPENTER ANT DAMAGE
It is common for carpenter ants to establish a parent colony in an outdoor location, like a rotting tree or a pile of yard debris. This parent colony has a reproductive queen, larvae and a few thousand worker ants.
As the colony grows, it establishes satellite nests elsewhere on the property. Some of these nests may be located within the home, garage, shed or other structure.
The extent of the damage that is caused by the carpenter ants is largely based on how many nests are present. The greater the number of nests, the more extensive the damage to the structures is.
All of the nests within the structures must be uncovered and destroyed to ensure that the damage actually stops. When the destruction is particularly widespread, the homeowner may have to spend thousands of dollars to repair it.
ARE CARPENTER ANTS AGGRESSIVE?
This species is not considered to be an aggressive pest, although individual colony members will bite people if they believe that their nest is being attacked.
The threat from carpenter ants really lies in their large numbers and their propensity for causing property damage.
DO CARPENTER ANTS CARRY DISEASE?
If someone is bitten by a carpenter ant, they may feel temporary discomfort, but they are extremely unlikely to get sick.
Still, eating food that has been exploited by carpenter ants easily can cause a case of food poisoning. Any infested food must be tossed to avoid illness.
People who have various allergies and other respiratory illnesses may experience an increase in symptoms because of the small piles of sawdust that carpenter ants generate with their excavations. When these piles of frass are picked up by HVAC systems, they have an adverse effect on indoor air quality.
HOW TO DETECT CARPENTER ANTS
Signs of a carpenter ant problem may include:
• Noises coming from behind walls or inside doors • Unusual amounts of heat and moisture emanating from walls or doors • Tiny droppings found adjacent to possible nesting sites • Winged ants inside or adjacent to structures • Shed wings found near or on window sills and baseboards
HOW TO PREVENT CARPENTER ANTS
At Newtown Termite & Pest Control we advise implementing the following proactive measures to help prevent a carpenter ant problem in your Bucks County home or business:
• Locate and correct leaks in roofs, plumbing and irrigation systems • Ensure there is no wood-to-ground contact on the property • Prune trees, shrubs and plants so that they cannot be used as bridges to structures • Identify and eliminate openings and cracks in foundations and exteriors • Store firewood well away from buildings and elevate it off the ground
HOW TO TREAT FOR CARPENTER ANTS
Proper carpenter ant treatment involves the detection and elimination of all existing nests, including that of the main colony and all of the related satellite colonies. Failure to accomplish this will often result in re-infestation. Additionally, the complete eradication of carpenter ant populations is typically not possible with most do-it-yourself products.
As such, successful carpenter ant eradication should be left to a professional pest management provider.
Here at Newtown Termite & Pest Control we take ant control seriously. For this reason, we utilize a multi-faceted treatment process, which includes sprays, dusts, along with strategic drilling and sealing.
When implemented by our experienced technicians, our comprehensive treatment plan will work to ensure that your home remains free of carpenter ants.
