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Carpenter Ants

What is a Carpenter Ant?

Carpenter ants, vary in size and color but are usually large (1/4-1/2 inch) and often blackish. You may find that some may have reddish or yellowish coloration. Occasionally, swarms of winged carpenter ant reproductives will emerge inside a home. Carpenter ant swarms usually occur in the spring and are a sure sign that a colony is nesting somewhere inside the structure. 

How Did I Get Carpenter Ants?

Carpenter ants nest in both moist and dry wood, but often prefer wood -- which is moist. They will build their nest in wood dampened by water leaks, such as around sinks, bathtubs, poorly sealed windows/ door frames, roof leaks and poorly flashed chimneys. Nests are especially common in moist, hollow spaces such as the wall void behind a dishwasher, or in a hollow porch column. They can also use tree branches that overhang roofs as a bridge, accessing buildings to find a way inside. Unsealed openings around utility pipes and wires are common entry points.

Inspection & Treatment

It is important to detect if you have an infestation of carpenter ants. When carpenter ants build nests, they dig out tunnels in wood, weakening it from the inside of your home. A long-term infestation with multiple colonies in a home often means serious structural damage. 

 

Carpenter ants may establish nests in a number of different locations. It is important to realize that these locations can be either inside or outside the structure. Carpenter ants actually construct two different kinds of nests. The first is the parent colonies which, when mature, contain an egg-laying queen, brood and 2000 or more worker ants. The second is the satellite colonies which may have large numbers of worker ants but no queen, eggs or young larvae. If an infestation is suspected and you need to know how to get rid of carpenter ants, it’s always best to contact Pest2Kill Exterminating, who can assess the situation and recommend a method of carpenter ant extermination.

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Pest2Kill Exterminating will find its nests and once identified it is then removed and/or treated chemically. Helpful pest prevention feedback is also provided to ensure that all moisture conditions are corrected.  

Close Up Carpenter Ant

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Prevention

There are a number of different ways to prevent carpenter ants. Here are some helpful tips to avoid them:​

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  1. Correct roof leaks, plumbing leaks and other moisture problems which will attract carpenter ants.

  2. Remove stumps, logs, and waste wood within 100 yards of your home.

  3. Clip back tree limbs and vegetation touching the roof or siding of the house. Limbs and branches can serve as "bridges" for carpenter ants in which nesting could occur in a dead tree limb and the structure.

  4. Seal cracks and openings in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wires enter from the outside.

  5. Stack firewood away from the foundation and elevate it off the ground. Never store firewood in the garage or other areas of the home, as firewood is a prime nesting area for carpenter ants. 

Call Pest2Kill Exterminating today to help eliminate your carpenter ant problem!

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