Content:
- Carpenter Ants Control: Risk of Having Carpenter Ants
- Wood Damage
- Do Carpenter Ants Bite?
- How Do Carpenter Ants Enter Buildings?
- Signs of Carpenter Ant Infestation
- Difference Between Termite and Carpenter Ants Infestations
- Carpenter Ants Control: Indoor Control
- Carpenter Ants Control: Outdoor Control
- Insecticide Treatment
- Prevent Carpenter Ants
- Conclusion
In the first part of our comprehensive guide on the carpenter ants, we learned how to identify them, and discussed some of their features, as well as where they live, how long they live, and their overall behavior.
In this part, we are exploring the destructive nature of these species – what kind of damage they do, how they do it, as well as methods of how to get rid of carpenter ants and prevent them in the first place.
So stay tuned!
Carpenter Ants Control: Risk of Having Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are not the type of ants that one wants to see in or around their home. They are one of the most notorious home invaders. Often mistaken for termites, these white, black, and brown wood-eating insects can do serious damage to your home quickly.
They form colonies in decaying wood and will make their way into walls and even furniture to feed on structural timber inside your house. Beyond property destruction, carpenter ants also have the potential to contaminate food and spread bacteria throughout the house—posing significant health risks.
Oftentimes over-the-counter pesticides won’t get rid of carpenter ants, so it is best to hire a licensed exterminator to eradicate them before they multiply in number and do more severe damage to your home.
Wood Damage
Carpenter ants are incredibly industrious creatures known for the extensive damage their galleries and tunnels can cause to wooden structures. Each tunnel looks as if it was meticulously sanded and is completely smooth, creating an eerie uniformity.
Their galleries, filled with wood shavings resembling the results of a pencil sharpener, boast walls with a sandblasted texture that are carved crookedly but efficiently. Unlike underground termite workings, these galleries are usually free of soil. Though they take away from the structural integrity of buildings, you have to admire carpenter ants’ careful handiwork!
Plus, you’ll often find bits of traces of insects, leftover food, and empty seed husks surrounding nest entrances where piles of wood shavings will be visible— making it even more evident that there’s hard work being done.
When dealing with carpenter ant infestations, it is important to bear in mind that the degree of harm they can cause to wooden constructions varies drastically. If an area offers extensive nourishment for them, such as wood sources and other sources of food, the colony can easily take up residence for an extended period of time, causing more harm and damage to the structure.
As their presence increases exponentially with each queen within a colony laying hundreds of eggs over a period of several weeks, the extent of damage done to structural wood will worsen as well – from small galleries and tunnels at first, eventually manifesting into weakened supports and framework.
However, carpenter ant damage generally happens gradually over time and usually takes years before it becomes recognizable.
Do Carpenter Ants Bite?
Carpenter ants may be small, but don’t let their size fool you! If threatened, these critters are capable of injecting formic acid into a bite wound to defend themselves. While this can produce an unpleasant burning sensation, there’s usually no cause for concern since the pain will pass without any long-term health implications.
Armed with this knowledge, it is wise to take precautions when coming in contact with carpenter ants and avoid any unnecessary risks!
How Do Carpenter Ants Enter Buildings?
Carpenter ants may look small, but don’t be fooled: their resourcefulness when it comes to infiltration can make them quite a menace. They can squeeze into tiny crevices around doors and windows, exploiting weaknesses in pipes or electrical wires to gain entry.
But these determined invaders have even more creative strategies: they can also scamper up shrubbery, tree limbs, or even phone wires to gain access you didn’t think was possible.
Homeowners should be on the lookout for any signs of the carpenter ant infestation that could come with seemingly magical appearances.
Signs of Carpenter Ant Infestation
The presence of ants certainly indicates that a carpenter ant colony has taken up residence somewhere, but this is not always the case. Carpenter ants frequently travel long distances for food, so seeing a few individuals does not automatically mean your home is infested.
To identify an extensive infestation, look for piles of wood shavings under or around wooden objects in your home. If you hear faint rustling sounds coming from inside walls or other wooden coverings, you may be dealing with tunneling ants.
Finally, large winged carpenter ants emerging from crevices are signs of an extreme infestation.
Difference Between Termite and Carpenter Ants Infestations
While many people associate termites with the damage they cause, few know that these small insects actually eat wood.
In contrast to termites, carpenter ants do not consume wood, but instead, destroy it as a way of creating their nests. Through careful observation of the damage inflicted on the wood, it is possible to determine whether one has stumbled upon a carpenter’s ant infestation or a termite infestation.
There are two main categories of termites that are responsible for infesting structures: subterranean and dry wood. When trying to differentiate between carpenter ant infestations and subterranean termite infestations by examining hollowed-out wood, one must note that while subterranean galleries are contaminated with dirt and mud, carpenter ant galleries will have been carefully cleaned and polished to make them appear smooth – giving us key insights into which type of creature caused the destruction of our beloved wooden furniture!
Carpenter ants can damage wood and homes over a long period of time, leaving window-like openings in the wood surfaces. What’s even more fascinating is that worker ants can eject their waste through these galleries!
And if that isn’t enough evidence to show you how extensive carpenter ant infestations can be, take a look down around the nest’s entrance where you’ll find piles of dead insects, random pieces of wood residue, frass (or fecal pellets – uniform in size and shape), and other sundry waste products.
It’s almost like they left behind finely cut pencil shavings on your kitchen floor as a sort of ‘march out’ parade! Remember that a colony’s population increases as a result of the expansion of its members through the wood, which results in more harm.
Carpenter Ants Control: Indoor Control
Locating and destroying the nest of carpenter ants that have nested indoors can be tricky – they tend to hide their nests in concealed areas and are notoriously difficult to find. Yet there are a few steps you can take to locate the nest with greater ease.
For starters, keep an eye out for worker ants between the hours of sunset and midnight during the warmer months when carpenter ants are more active.
A great way to observe them without scaring them off is by using a flashlight covered with a red light lens – as red light is invisible to these insects, they won’t be bothered by it or get scared away. You could even try partially covering your torchlight with your hand if you want to make it blend in further.
Additionally, the possibility of finding the nest increases if you leave out food items such as sweets or grease that carpenter ant workers will likely delight in – that way, you can track them back to their hidden lair!
Carpenter Ants Control: Outdoor Control
With carpenter ants colonies being connected to external parent colonies, it is essential to tackle the larger problem in order to get rid of the small nests. Locate nests in places such as trees, stumps, roots, and fencing posts if you’re looking for an outdoor option.
Wooden constructions? Not too great an idea. In this case, removing the wood from the parent colony is key but when that isn’t an option, specialists can be a great choice.
Another tip would be to trim branches hanging near structures or electrical wiring to prevent them from having easy access to your home.
By taking these preventive measures starting today we can help keep those pesky carpenter ants away!
Insecticide Treatment
Dust
Simply spraying insecticide dust or misting a chemical will kill some of the ants that come directly into contact with it, but won’t have much effect on carpenter ant nests which are deeper within walls and other hard-to-access areas.
In addition, many rapid-action pesticides used on pathways will quickly knock down any ant activity visible on the surface, however, this is unlikely to affect the colony. Instead, targeting the nests and larvae directly is necessary for long-term success when tackling an infestation.
When trying to target nests located inside wall voids, dust formations should be placed in drill holes at three to six feet intervals on either side of where large numbers of ants are coming into the residence.
An additional method is to use a series of boreholes spaced 12 inches apart in any exposed infested timber which obstructs nest chambers and tunnels. After inserting a dowel, small cork, or another suitable sealant into each hole, the repair should be touched up using paint to ensure discretion.
Aerosols
Aerosol treatments may be one of the more effective means of eliminating unwanted pests in any wood structure. While the fumes from these sprays have the ability to penetrate even deep, inaccessible regions of nests, it is important to also apply a residual pesticide thoroughly to areas close to the nest.
With proper application, insecticidal fumes can spread throughout the entire nest area, providing you will all-encompassing protection against potential infestations. Not only that but aerosol treatments are found to be particularly successful when used on nests with large amounts of insulation.
To ensure permanent ant protection, a perimeter treatment must be applied to the intricate details surrounding your building.
From two feet above and three feet away from the foundation walls to around window and door frames, chimney flashings, and siding borders, treatments are required in these intricately placed areas to make sure that nothing is left unchecked.
Moreover, not just any chemical should be used – it’s important to use a non-repellant spray that seeks out all possible ant pathways. After application, maintenance is key as well – redefining your perimeter edges every four to six weeks or right after any heavy rainfall in the summer is essential for the best results.
With proper implementation, you can rest assured that no ill-mannered intruder ants will show up unannounced at your doorstep.
Baits
Control of carpenter ants requires a multifaceted treatment plan, and the use of baiting is an effective piece of this. It is important to ensure that any pesticide treatments are completed before implementing baiting, as they will reduce the effectiveness of the bait.
To enjoy maximum success, it is important to ensure that these baits are tailored to meet the food preferences of carpenter ants. Instead of randomly scattering the bait around a structure, place it directly on or close to foraging pathways and entrance points – this increases their attractive power and increases the chances of them being consumed.
To further maximize safety, indoor habitats should house their bait in child-proof bait stations. Outdoor Liquid and Granular baits are highly recommended for outdoor infestations – but make sure you understand which type is most suitable for your particular needs!
Prevent Carpenter Ants
Taking control of carpenter ants can be tricky, but the first step is embracing prevention over reaction – particularly when it comes to moisture.
Excessive amounts of moisture and dampness in or around the home create an ideal environment for carpenter ant survival, meaning that issues like blocked gutters, vents, poorly-vented attics or crawl spaces, leaking roofs, and chimney flashing need to be taken into consideration before any other steps are taken.
Trying to eliminate wood-to-soil contact by replacing decayed wood with newer pieces is also a must if you want lasting results from your efforts. Getting rid of any dead stumps that are closer than 50 feet to your house, pruning broken limbs on nearby trees, sealing their trunks, and keeping firewood off the ground and away from the house will help prevent branches from coming into contact with the building.
Finally, if you seal off cracks and fissures where utility pipes and wiring enter the structure you might finally have carpenter ant control without resorting to expensive extermination measures.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! Now you know everything there is to know about carpenter ants. At least, everything that matters – from identifying them to controlling these destructive pests.
Have you been dealing with carpenter ants? Let us know your experiences!
