If you've ever gone camping or hiking in a forest, chances are good that you were sharing that natural space with millions of carpenter ants. In fact, this is the perfect habitat for them because it lets them be a helpful part of the ecosystem.
Nonetheless, carpenter ants frequently establish nests close to or within houses. This is bad news because these pests destroy wood as they build their nests.
How do you know if you have carpenter ants? If you suspect that you have an infestation, then the smartest move to make is to ask an exterminator to investigate the problem. Thanks to their expertise, they can give you an accurate diagnosis and carry out a multi-pronged treatment strategy that ends the infestation.
CARPENTER ANT IDENTIFICATION
Ant infestations are common problems in Feasterville area homes and businesses. How can you know if you have carpenter ants or a less destructive species?
The only way to be certain is through the guidance of an experienced pest management professional.
• WHAT ARE CARPENTER ANTS?
Carpenter ants are indigenous members of forest ecosystems. Their most notable characteristic is their habit of excavating nests in wood. When these nests are located in rotting stumps or fallen trees, the carpenter ant colony is considered beneficial. Unfortunately, these pests also build nests in decks, fences, homes and other man-made structures. Unlike termites, carpenter ants don't eat the wood that they excavate. Instead, they leave it outside the nest in piles that look like sawdust.
• HOW BIG CAN CARPENTER ANTS GET?
If you think you see carpenter ants, then these are probably the workers. Each colony has more workers than any other member because workers are needed to build the nest and forage for food. The size of the worker depends on their species and on whether they are a minor or a major worker. Most workers measure about three-eighths to one-half of an inch, though one species has workers that are only three-sixteenths of an inch long.
The colony's queen, which is virtually never seen as she does not leave the nest, may be as long as one inch.
• HOW TO IDENTIFY CARPENTER ANTS
Because they are so much larger than most other ant species, carpenter ants are easy to identify. Basically, if you're looking at ants that seem far larger than those that you are accustomed to, these are probably carpenter ants.
Beyond that, you may notice that carpenter ants have a single petiole, or node, and a thorax. When viewed in profile, the thorax is evenly rounded. Worker carpenter ants typically are either black or red. Some carpenter ants have wings. These are the colony's reproductive members, and they are most likely to be seen in the spring. The female drops her wings shortly after mating and establishing a new colony.
CARPENTER ANT DETECTION
Carpenter ants can be frustratingly hard to find unless you know where to look. They are good at hiding, which enables them to work at destroying your house for a long time before you even know they are there. This is why regular pest control inspections are essential.
• WHERE DO CARPENTER ANTS HIDE?
If you are wondering where carpenter ants might be hiding on your property, just look for any moist or damaged wood. These two characteristics are enormously attractive to carpenter ants.
Decaying wood around a chimney, window, door, sink or bath trap provides the ideal conditions that carpenter ants crave. You also might find a nest in a basement, crawl space, attic or anywhere that there has been a water leak. They prefer these types of locations because they usually have cool enough temperatures while also offering protection from changes to the environment and problems with predators.
• WHERE DO CARPENTER ANTS NEST IN A HOUSE?
Large, well-established carpenter ant colonies actually may build more than one nest. The original nest is referred to as the parent nest while the others are described as satellite nests. Most frequently, the parent nest is located outdoors, perhaps within just a few yards of your house.
As the colony's population explodes, it becomes necessary to branch out to satellite nests. While these may be located outdoors, it is even more likely that they will be placed in your house. Keep in mind the conditions that carpenter ants like such as damp wood, rotting wood, cooler temperatures, darkness and good cover from the elements and predators. This likely will give you several good ideas for where to look for carpenter ant nests in your house.
Frequently, these are found in places like crawlspaces and wall voids where you just don't go. That's why pest control inspections are so necessary. Exterminators are trained to examine all of the dark, inaccessible places where pests like to hide.
• HOW TO TELL IF YOU HAVE CARPENTER ANTS
One of the most common signs is seeing big black ants in your house or flying outside of your house in the spring. Another telltale sign is the accumulation of wood shavings around doorjambs, windowsills or baseboards. Some homeowners even report hearing rustling noises inside woodwork or behind walls.
CARPENTER ANT DAMAGE
This is the number-one reason why pest control is critical. It protects your home from extensive damage.
• ARE CARPENTER ANTS DESTRUCTIVE?
When carpenter ants nest in wood that is part of your home's structure, they can cause a lot of damage. If left untreated, that damage spreads. With the establishment of satellite nests, the problem only grows.
When carpenter ant problems are caught early, the damage largely may be cosmetic. However, an untreated infestation can damage structural elements in your home.
• CAN CARPENTER ANTS DAMAGE YOUR HOME?
If you don't have a carpenter ant infestation diagnosed and treated, then you might begin to see troubling signs like your ceiling beginning to sink, a door that's always stuck or a floor that feels spongy when you walk across it. Are any of the walls in your home starting to bulge out? If so, then this may be a sign of carpenter ant damage.
• IS CARPENTER ANT DAMAGE COVERED BY HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE?
Too many people make the mistake of thinking that their homeowners insurance covers them in the event of carpenter ant damage. Unfortunately, insurance companies consider this type of destruction to be a maintenance problem. This means that your policy most likely will not cover the cost of repairs.
In this case, preventing carpenter ant damage is the best thing that you can do to save money and restore your peace of mind.
CARPENTER ANT PREVENTION
You can make your home less vulnerable to wood-destroying insects like carpenter ants.
• HOW DO CARPENTER ANTS GET IN THE HOUSE?
Cracks and gaps serve as open invitations to foraging carpenter ants. These gaps may occur around holes that are cut into the home's exterior for electrical wiring or utility lines. An unevenly hung door or window is vulnerable too. Any damaged or wet wood in or on your home can be tunneled straight through by carpenter ants. Allowing tree limbs or shrubs to touch the exterior of your house provides the colony with ready access to the structure so that they can begin looking for a hole or gap.
• DO CARPENTER ANTS GO AWAY ON THEIR OWN?
As long as food and shelter are available, the infestation will persist. Once a colony is established, it will continue to exploit the wood, frequently working year round to expand the nest. Mature nests will produce flying reproductive members in the spring, and this is a sign of a major infestation that requires immediate attention.
• HOW TO KEEP CARPENTER ANTS AWAY
Now that you know how carpenter ants get into your house, you can take steps to remedy these problems. Regularly inspect your house to look for signs of gaps, cracks or holes. Any of these may be filled with caulk or another material. If you see daylight peaking around window and door frames, consider adding some weather stripping.
If you are aware of any wood on your property that is damaged or frequently wet, then it is wise to get rid of this wood. This may mean needing to replace wood in your home that was previously damaged by a water leak or getting rid of a stack of discarded lumber or firewood. If you have a tree taken out of your yard, ensure that the stump and roots are completely removed. Getting rid of potential carpenter ant habitat is one of the best ways of discouraging them from establishing a nest.
CARPENTER ANT EXTERMINATION
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.
