If you have a home that has a foundation or any part of the house that has a lot of wood, there is a good chance that you are going to encounter carpenter ants. These ants are very hard to get rid of, and can cause a lot of damage to your house. Here is some information about how you can keep them out of your house.
Feeding habits
Carpenter ants are nocturnal insects that forage for food, mostly sweet substances. They also eat plant juices and other arthropods.
Carpenter ant colonies usually contain one queen and several thousand workers. The queens mate with winged males. After mating, the female carpenter ant lays eggs. Once the eggs hatch, the worker ants take over the colony.
Carpenter ants eat dead animals, honeydew, insects, and other sweet fluids. These insects are also attracted to the sweet liquid produced by aphids.
Carpenter ants build their nests underground. Their nests are found in dead trees, wood, and rocks. When the ants forage, they often leave trails to help locate their nests.
Carpenter ant colonies can grow very large. Colonies may be found in your yard or in your home. This insect is a nuisance and a threat to your property.
To control carpenter ants, you must first locate the nest. A good way to find the nest is to use diluted honey.
Nesting
If you’ve been hearing rustling noises coming from your roof, walls or ceiling, you could have a carpenter ant nest. These insects are known to invade wooden structures and cause considerable damage.
They build their nests in wood, which can include structural timbers and even fence posts. The nests are usually found in hollowed-out or dry-cracked sections of the timbers.
To locate a carpenter ant nest, look both inside and outside your home. Look at night when foragers are most active. You’ll see their foraging trails. Also, check the areas where water may be leaking.
There are two main species of Carpenter ants. Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGeer) and Camponotus acutissima (Western Carpenter Ant).
Both are common in North America. Although there are many other species of ants, these are the most commonly-found in homes.
Carpenter ants don’t eat wood, but they do prefer to feed on protein and fats. Unlike termites, these ants don’t digest the wood, but instead excavate and break it up.
Damage to a home’s foundation
Carpenter ants are a pest that can damage your home’s foundation. They are tiny insects that can chew through drywall, plastic, or even solid concrete. They are also attracted to sugar and greasy meats.
They can cause serious structural damage to a home’s wooden foundation. Often, they build satellite nests inside the house, under sinks, behind appliances, or even in the basement.
In addition to causing significant damage to your home’s foundation, carpenter ants can cause bodily harm if a structure collapses. The good news is that they are easier to control if they are detected at an early stage.
If you see a visible infestation, call an exterminator. This is a problem that could cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.
You can tell if your home is infested by an ant colony by checking the area around the home’s foundation. Specifically, look for the signs of wood rot. These may be rotting beams, frames, or support beams.
Preventing an infestation
Carpenter ants are a pest that can cause thousands of dollars in damage to your home. These small, black insects are usually found around windows, doors, sinks, and plumbing. They can also invade new buildings. To avoid a carpenter ant infestation, make sure you keep your home free of moisture.
Carpenter ants create nests in wood that is moist. Their colonies can be as large as 2000 to 4000 ants. The ants tunnel through the wood and leave behind sawdust-like debris.
The ants build their nests in voids and near door frames and chimneys. They can also occupy hollow window frames. If you see a nest in a new structure, contact a pest control professional for a solution.
Carpenter ants are a good sign of a moisture problem in your house. When they enter your home, they are looking for food and water. Ants can cause structural damage to your home, so removing the moisture and treating the leaking pipes is a good start.