When living in a forest, carpenter ants are a beneficial part of the ecosystem. This is mainly because a carpenter ant colony eats massive amounts of insects that would feed on the trees. On the other hand, carpenter ants are a critical nutritional component for other species, like birds and small mammals.
No matter how beneficial carpenter ants are in the wild, they are never welcome in any Bucks County home or business. Unfortunately, once a carpenter ant infestation begins, it is difficult to treat. This is why it's always advisable to ask an exterminator to perform a thorough inspection and recommend a treatment plan that not only ends the infestation but also makes the home less susceptible to future infestation.
CARPENTER ANT IDENTIFICATION
Some ant infestations are more innocuous than those that involve carpenter ants. Being able to distinguish between the many ant species is one of the advantages that you get when you ask a pest management professional to diagnose the problem.
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DO CARPENTER ANTS HAVE WINGS?
Carpenter ant colonies become active in the spring. In mature colonies, winged males and females fly up in a swarm to mate. Females then fly to another location where they lay eggs and establish their own colony. Soon after starting her nest, the female sheds her wings.
The appearance of winged swarmers indicates that a carpenter ant colony is mature and well-established. If the swarmers are found inside the home or adjacent to it, this indicates that the nest actually may be somewhere inside the house. At this point, the damage to the structure may be significant.
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WHAT DO CARPENTER ANTS LOOK LIKE?
Most of the colony's members are workers, all of which tend to be between one-quarter and one-half inch in length and black in color. They do not have wings. When viewed from the side, the carpenter ant's thorax is smoothly rounded. Also, they have a single node, which is a triangular component that connects the thorax to the abdomen.
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HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE CARPENTER ANTS
If you see black ants in your kitchen or pantry, the pests could be any of a number of species. Most people have a difficult time telling a little black ant from an odorous house ant or a citronella ant. This is because most ant species in the region are similar in size at about one-eighth or one-sixteenth of an inch.
With carpenter ants measuring between one-quarter and one-half an inch, it's easy to see that these insects are much larger than the other species. Accordingly, if you see a large black ant in your house, it is probably a carpenter ant rather than one of the smaller, less destructive species. To be certain, it is always best to rely on an identification by an exterminator.
CARPENTER ANT DETECTION
When people schedule a routine pest inspection, they frequently are shocked to learn that they have carpenter ants. It's especially disconcerting when they learn that it appears that the infestation has been underway for a few years. This is why it's a good idea to have regular pest inspections that include examining the dark, secluded places where people rarely go but pests love.
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HOW DO I GET CARPENTER ANTS?
Do you have any wood on your property that is damaged or rotting? What about some lumber that frequently gets wet? Maybe you had a plumbing leak a couple of years ago and there is some damaged wood in your home that didn't get replaced.
A woodpile can be attractive to carpenter ants too, as is a wooden fence or deck that has fallen into disrepair. Essentially, carpenter ants seek new nesting habitat each spring. They prefer to burrow into soft, decaying wood that is easy to dig into. Keep in mind that they will use overhanging tree branches as a bridge to make their way onto a home's roof so they can find the right habitat.
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SIGNS OF CARPENTER ANTS IN THE HOUSE
Occasionally, people will see a large, black worker ant in the kitchen or elsewhere in the house. Chances are good that this carpenter ant is foraging for food. It may be a sign of a larger problem, or it could just be a single ant seeking a food source.
The most obvious sign of a long-standing infestation is the appearance of swarmers in the spring. Any time you see several winged, black ants flying in your home or just outside, it is a certain indication that a mature colony is somewhere on your property.
People also may notice faint rustling sounds emerging from behind walls. When you hear these sounds, you may be listening to carpenter ants going about their daily activities in their nest.
If you notice piles of wood shavings and dead ants anywhere in your home or around the foundation, this is another certain sign of a carpenter ant infestation.
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WHAT ATTRACTS CARPENTER ANTS?
First and foremost, carpenter ants may be seeking a new place to nest. They will seek any damp, rotting, damaged or unfinished wood because it is easier to excavate. If you have discarded lumber on your property or have an undiagnosed plumbing leak, your home is particularly susceptible to an infestation.
Carpenter ants also may be attracted by the scent of food. Unlike termites, they do not eat the wood they excavate. Instead, they look for pet food, jelly, syrup, honey and meat, most of which are readily available in kitchens and pantries.
It is possible for workers to wander hundreds of yards away from their nests in search of food. Consequently, you may see a foraging ant that is just beginning to take advantage of your home via a small hole or crack in the building's exterior.
CARPENTER ANT DAMAGE
While not quite as destructive as termites, carpenter ants still cause considerable damage.
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DO CARPENTER ANTS EAT WOOD?
Carpenter ants do not eat wood, favoring protein and sugars instead. Termites do eat wood, which is why they leave behind frass pellets containing wood shavings as their waste products. Carpenter ants leave behind piles of sawdust, which is not processed through their digestive systems.
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CAN CARPENTER ANTS DESTROY YOUR HOUSE?
It is rare for a carpenter ant problem to be so severe that it actually destroys a house. Of course, it could happen in an abandoned property that was simply left to the elements. When discovered in a timely fashion, carpenter ants may cause minimal damage to wooden components in the house.
Unfortunately, carpenter ants cause most of their damage in hidden places, which can mean that they nest in a home for years before they are discovered. Preventing this situation is easy when you receive regular pest inspections.
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WHEN SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT CARPENTER ANTS?
The best time to worry about carpenter ants is before they become a problem. Homes that are subject to regular inspections are less vulnerable because the homeowners know to make certain repairs and to take preventative measures. Moreover, if a burgeoning infestation is discovered, it can be treated in its early stages.
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IS CARPENTER ANT DAMAGE COVERED BY HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE
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Most insurance policies do not cover carpenter ant damage as insurers typically refer to it as being a home maintenance issue, with the responsibility falling on the property owner. Knowing this, it's easy to see why prevention is essential.
CARPENTER ANT PREVENTION
It is possible to make your home look far less attractive to carpenter ants. A qualified exterminator can help you identify any trouble spots so that they can be corrected.
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HOW DO YOU STOP CARPENTER ANTS?
The most critical step you can take is to hire a pest infestation expert to routinely inspect all areas of your property and the structures on it. This makes it easy to catch infestations in their early stages and to control any infestations that are currently underway.
To keep carpenter ants away, make sure that your gutters are clear and that you have covered all holes or cracks in the home's exterior. Before bringing firewood indoors, check it for the presence of ants, and cut trees so that they do not overhang your home. If you have a woodpile or yard debris pile, store it well away from the house.
CARPENTER ANT EXTERMINATION
Getting rid of carpenter ants is complicated. Hire a professional to make sure the job is done right.
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DO CARPENTER ANTS GO AWAY ON THEIR OWN?
Carpenter ants will persist as long as food and good nesting habitat are available. When nests are placed indoors, it is not unusual for the colony to be active all year. This means that the problem will only get larger and more difficult to treat.
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HOW DO I TREAT CARPENTER ANTS?
Your best option is to hire a pest control company to diagnose and treat the infestation. With a combination of baits and poisons, the exterminator can destroy the queen, ensuring that they colony will not experience a resurgence.
HOW WE 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.
