Table of Contents
What Is A Carpenter Ant?
Carpenter ants are working insects with two antennas, six legs, and a reddish/black segmented body. This is not some ordinary insect, it is so much more, thanks to its “superorganism” or “single organism” behavior. They spend most of their time working, reproducing, and building their colonies. You can spot them traveling along pathways, driveways, and walkways. They tend to hang out in areas where food and shelter are plentiful. Their powerful mandibles allow them to gnaw their way through the thickest wooden structures fairly quickly with a lot of ant power. Some carpenter ants are completely black while others are brown, red, or a mixture of these colors. The adult worker ranges between 1/8” to ½” in length while the queen is slightly larger at approximately 5/8 inches.
Is My Home Infested With Carpenter Ants?
Visual Sightings
Carpenter ants generally travel in large groups and sometimes in a long line. The workers are responsible for food and shelter while the queen spends most of her time procreating. Visual sightings are generally workers foraging for food and materials to build their nests.
Trails Of Sawdust
Carpenter ants are notorious for damaging wooden structures, such as damaged trees, flooring, cabinets, walls, and furniture. They leave trails of sawdust “frass” in their paths while working to build their nesting sites.
Audible Noises
While it may seem impossible, if you listen very carefully, you will pick up the audible noises of a colony of carpenter ants hard at work. It sounds like a rustling noise, which is the mandibles gnawing away on decaying wood.
Wings Swarmer Ants
Winged carpenter ants spend most of their time foraging for food. This sighting points to a much bigger carpenter ant problem than one might initially expect. When swarmer ants are present, there is a large well-established colony somewhere close by.
Why Is My Home Infested With Carpenter Ants?
Carpenter ants are dawn to essentials of living – food, shelter, and water. If your home can provide the essentials, it will be a big target for carpenter ant infestations. While your intentions are not to invite the carpenter ants into your home, you are doing just that by offering them what they need to survive. The essentials are decaying wooden structures. But, when decaying wood is not available, carpenter ants will target sound wood. When a small group of carpenter ants is spotted indoors, this is generally a small satellite colony. The rest of the colony, which is most often extremely large is located somewhere on the exterior of the property, but not too far away. These are some of the most determined insects known to man. They will do whatever is necessary to ensure the queen and the young survive.
Do Carpenter Ant Infestations Pose A Health Risk To Humans?
No, carpenter ants are not known to carry diseases that spread to humans. However, they do pose structural damage risk. They will gnaw through wooden beams, cabinets, floors, trusses, walls, and furniture to provide adequate food for their colonies.
How To Eradicate A Carpenter Ant Infestation?
Unlike some insect infestations, carpenter ant infestations are extremely complex because the colonies are most often divided into groups. One group is working and living inside the infested home while the rest of the colony is laying in wait. This is not always the case, but it is most of the time. To fully eradicate a carpenter ant infestation, every nest and tunnel must be destroyed to prevent future infestations.
Is DIY Pest Control Effective For Carpenter Ant Infestations?
The complexity of a carpenter ant infestation almost always eliminates the DIY pest control option. In fact, we believe the only solution to carpenter ant infestations is commercial-grade pest control. Our pest control service combines a thorough visual inspection, strategic treatment plan, and a visual follow-up. We utilize commercial-grade pesticides combined with manpower to fully eradicate the colony, nests, and tunneling system.
When Should I Expect The Exterminator To Arrive At My Home?
With your carpenter ant pest control request in hand, one of our skilled customer support team members has the authority to dispatch a licensed exterminator or qualified technician out to your home within 24 to 48 hours.
Is Commercial-Grade Carpenter Ant Control Safe?
Our professional-grade pest control is very safe. We minimize the risks surrounding chemical-based pesticides by heeding the US Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations and recommendations. EPA-approved pesticides have been deemed “safe” as long as they are handled and administered properly. We follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to a tee and always vacate the home prior to, during, and several hours after the treatment is administered.
Is It Possible To Prevent Future Carpenter Ant Infestations?
This is a very good question. Yes, it is possible to prevent future carpenter ant infestations even though the home’s pest barrier is damaged. Our job is to rebuild and improve the impacted home’s pest barrier to prevent future infestations. We do this by sealing off all potential access points into the home, teach the family about carpenter ant safety, and create a drawn-out, but very doable prevention plan. We will work with you and your family to prevent future carpenter ant infestations. However, we need every member of the household on board with this strategic pest management plan. We recommend storing non-perishable foods in glass or plastic sealed containers, removing all potential access points around doors, windows, and plumbing pipes, and repairing all damaged building structures constructed from wood.
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