Carpenter ant swarms usually occur in the spring and are a sure sign that a colony is nesting somewhere inside the structure.
Winged carpenter ants can be distinguished from termites by their larger size and shape of their antennae, waist and wings. Besides being objectionable by their presence, carpenter ants damage wood by hollowing it out for nesting. They excavate galleries in wood which have a smooth, sandpapered appearance.
Wood which has been damaged by carpenter ants contains no mud-like material, as is the case with termites. Shredded fragments of wood, similar in appearance to coarse sawdust, are ejected from the galleries through preexisting cracks or slits made by the ants.
When such accumulations are found typically containing dead ants and bits of insects which the carpenter ants have eaten , it's a good indication that a carpenter ant nest is nearby.
Oftentimes, however, the excavated sawdust remains hidden behind a wall or in some other concealed area. Carpenter ants nest in both moist and dry wood, but prefer wood which is moist. Nests are especially common in moist, hollow spaces such as the wall void behind a dishwasher, or in a hollow porch column.
Since there often will be no external signs of damage, probing the wood with a screwdriver helps reveal the excavated galleries. Another technique for locating hidden nests is to tap along baseboards and other wood surfaces with the blunt end of a screwdriver, listening for the hollow sound of damaged wood. If a nest is nearby, carpenter ants often will respond by making a " rustling" sound within the nest, similar to the crinkling of cellophane.
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: parent colonies which, when mature, contain an egg-laying queen, brood and or more worker ants, and satellite colonies which may have large numbers of worker ants but no queen, eggs or young larvae. Carpenter ant swarmers are male and female reproductives sent out from a mature nest with one purpose: establish more nests.
This is the worst stage of all. When carpenter ants go untreated, they can cause supports to weaken and framing to warp. This leads to stuck doors, stuck windows, slopey floors, sinking ceilings, and bulging walls.
Don't let this be the way you find out you have carpenter ants in your home. These are hard pests to get rid of. And, if you don't get them all, you may continue to have damage done to your home. We highly recommend calling a professional pest control company--and not just because we're a pest control company. We've heard too many stories of carpenter ant destruction.
With the help of a trained pest control technician, this issue will be properly addressed, and you won't have to wonder if the ants are still in there, eating away at your equity. A home is one of the largest investments a family will make. Protect your investment from carpenter ants by reaching out to Adam's Pest Control. You may not see constant activity from carpenter ants, but rather you'll find a few on one day and several on another day.
Just because you don't see signs of carpenter ant infestation doesn't mean they are gone. It could mean that they are tending to their nests. When it is sunny and dry outside, the ants may venture out for food.
But when it is cooler or damp outside, the carpenter ants may spend their time ensuring that the colony's pupae are stored well where they will continue to grow up and help the colony do some more damage to the wood in your home. Regular or consistent presence of carpenter ants should start to occur when the average daily temperatures begin to rise above 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keep in mind that if you do finally see some carpenter ants, chances are they have been in the structure for more than a year. Carpenter ants come out at night, so you are more likely to see or hear them rustling in the early morning or late at night. If not consistently treated, primary colonies will simply restock the area with new workers who will continue to damage the wood. Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around the bottom of doors or around windows.
Seal all openings with a silicone-based caulk. Also, keep firewood and building materials stored away from the home.
Carpenter ants like to build nests in stacks of wood. What kind of damage can a carpenter ant do to my house? Learn more about carpenter ants and the threats they pose. Carpenter ants have powerful jaws and their bites can be painful. They may also inject formic acid into the bite wound, creating a burning sensation.
However, this pain will subside and does not pose a significant health threat. Most species of carpenter ants attack wood that is currently or has previously been wet and damaged by mold. Even though carpenter ants first invade wet, decayed wood, they may later begin excavating tunnels through dry, undamaged wood. They usually come into buildings through cracks around doors, windows, or through plumbing and electrical penetrations in the home.
They will also crawl along overhead wires, shrubs, or tree limbs outdoors that touch the building above ground, then enter the home through any small opening. Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, rotting fence posts, old firewood, under stones, etc.
The parent colony, or main colony, is typically located outside and contains the queen, eggs and young. Satellite nests can occur and branch out from the main parent colony and they only contain workers, mature larvae and pupae. Satellite nests are formed in mid-summer both indoors and outdoors and do not form until the parent colony matures over several years.
Usually around August, the workers and winged ants will emerge from the pupae. Carpenter ants will begin mating flights in a process called swarming. If conditions are right, the male releases a pheromone that stimulates the female to leave her nest.
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