In their natural settings, carpenter ants are a welcomed part of the ecosystem as these insects help to break down trees and stumps that have died.
However, carpenter ants can be a serious threat to Warminster area homes and businesses when they move into areas populated by people and use their residences, commercial buildings, garages, sheds and other structures as nests
It is the species' habit of using damp, damaged or otherwise decaying wood as a nest that makes them such a tremendous pest in the settings where people live and work. Carpenter ant colonies are responsible for large amounts of structural damage each year. Frequently occurring in spots like attics, basements and crawl spaces, it is possible for this damage to become extremely advanced before people are even aware that the pests are present.
When people do see an ant in a place where it does not belong, the natural inclination is to kill it with a spray. This approach may kill an individual ant, but it cannot touch the tens of thousands of other colony members that are lurking out of sight.
Accordingly, wise property owners make the decision to hire a licensed pest management company to take care of carpenter ant problems for good.
WHAT DO CARPENTER ANTS LOOK LIKE?
Spring is the season in which flying swarms of black carpenter ants may be spied adjacent to or within man-made structures. Most people cannot readily identify the pests' species, but these are reproductive carpenter ants that are responsible for mating and starting new colonies. Often, these new colonies are established close to the original colony, which means that new generations of carpenter ants may begin nesting within the same building.
Females lose their wings after mating and are now considered queens. Red, brown or black in color, the queen retreats to the innermost regions of the nest and usually is not seen by people. She solely focuses on producing more carpenter ants to tend to her needs and those of her growing brood.
When people see carpenter ants inside buildings, these are probably the colony's workers. While they may be red or multi-colored, most workers are jet black. One of the characteristics of a mature colony is the production of both major and minor workers. They may have similar coloration, but the minor worker is just three-eighths of an inch long in contrast to the one-half inch long major workers.
WHERE DO CARPENTER ANTS LIVE?
New carpenter ant queens look for wood that is damaged or perpetually wet in which she can easily fashion the beginnings of a nest. Sealing herself in for safety, she produces her first generation of offspring. This behavior is normal and even healthy when it occurs in rotting logs and stumps, but it signals the beginning of widespread damage when it occurs in fences, decks, siding, basements, crawl spaces and wall voids.
Ordinarily, the queen will establish an outdoor nest in a rotting tree or other inviting place. A fast-growing colony quickly runs out of room and begins looking to establish one or more satellite colonies. Placing these within a man-made structure is common. If wood on a structure makes contact with soil, carpenter ants will view this as the perfect place to start building. This is why carpenter ant nests are so frequently found in door frames, wall voids, basements or crawl spaces.
It is not unusual for carpenter ants nests to be well-hidden and difficult for people to access. The skills and experience of a certified pest control technician enable the quick discovery and elimination of these hidden nests.
WHAT DO CARPENTER ANTS EAT?
A misconception held by many people about carpenter ants is that they actually eat the wood that they damage. While this is the case for termites, carpenter ants derive no nutritional value from wood. Instead, they chew the wooden particles before expelling it as frass. They feed on sweet items such as honeydew and items that contain protein, like other insects.
Many foods that are supposed to be eaten by people or pets are vulnerable to contamination by carpenter ants. Dog or cat food will always attract them as will meat, fruits, vegetables, baked goods, juice, soda and many other edible things.
DAMAGE CAUSED BY CARPENTER ANTS
Carpenter ants are adept at finding wood that is already damaged and exacerbating these issues. For instance, a building that once had a plumbing leak may have undiscovered damaged wood. Carpenter ants find this damage and begin excavating. The overall weakness of the wood makes excavation quick and easy.
Carpenter ants make tunnels that appear clean and smooth because any waste products are expelled through carefully constructed access holes. Thus, the pests create piles of frass on floors and around foundations that may be among the earliest signs of an infestation.
ARE CARPENTER ANTS AGGRESSIVE?
Carpenter ants are capable of biting people, but these are rare occurrences. This pests' most aggressive tendencies are reserved for attacking buildings.
DO CARPENTER ANTS CARRY DISEASE?
Many people are surprised to learn that carpenter ant infestations in Warminster can lead to health problems. Most of these are connected to cases of food poisoning, which arise when the pests contaminate food and the surfaces on which it is prepared. Carpenter ants commonly carry a variety of bacteria and germs, any of which can make people ill if they are ingested.
An uptick in symptoms like watery eyes, runny noses, coughs and sneezes also may occur in infested buildings. This is attributed to the carpenter ant's habit of pushing frass out of its nest. These tiny particles of sawdust enter into heating and cooling systems where they are distributed throughout the building, causing general irritation even for people who do not normally have allergies.
HOW TO DETECT CARPENTER ANTS
Signs of a carpenter ant infestation include:
• Flying black ants appearing in the spring • Piles of frass around foundations or on floors • Half-inch long ants discovered anywhere indoors
HOW TO PREVENT CARPENTER ANTS
To help prevent carpenter ant issues the following steps should be taken:
• Ensuring that all wood is painted, stained or treated • Replacing water-damaged wood • Keeping doors and windows closed • Using good-quality screens on doors and windows • Using good food-storage practices • Correcting water leaks • Trimming foliage so that it cannot touch or overhang man-made structures
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 ant control provider.
Here at Newtown Termite & Pest Control we recognize that carpenter ants can be a serious problem for Warminster homeowners. 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.
