What Is A Carpenter Ant

Carpenter ants are known to cause the most damage of all the different species of ants that commonly infest structures.

What is a carpenter ant. They build nests inside wood consisting of galleries chewed out with their mandibles preferably in dead damp wood. Sometimes carpenter ants hollow out sections of. If the ant has wings there is very little doubt that it is a carpenter ant. And are the largest of all common ant species.

Carpenter ants will enter the house through wet damaged wood. How do carpenter ants get inside a home. However the presence of carpenter ants in your home doesn t necessarily mean you have a carpenter ant problem. Carpenter ants do not eat wood but damage wood through their nest building.

Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources including tree stumps firewood or landscaping. Poison baits killer sprays foams and dusts. Carpenter ants are very difficult to control. Carpenter ants can and will establish a nest inside or outside of any type of structure but wooden homes are especially at risk because carpenter ants like to bore tiny tunnels into wood.

What is the best carpenter ant killer. Spring is when the black carpenter ants come inside. However unlike termites they do not consume wood discarding a material that resembles sawdust. They need a constant water source to survive.

Carpenter ants are common across the u s. The damage caused by carpenter ants is often confused with termite damage as are the insects themselves. Colonies can contain up to 50 000 workers. Carpenter ants or camponotus build their colonies in wood.

However size will vary even within a single colony and type. Typically black in color these relentless insects will threaten the structural stability of homes by digging into wood to build their nests. We will tell you how to find their nests and distinguish them from termites. While most carpenter ants are black some species will appear reddish brown or yellowish.

On the other hand carpenter ant infestations often go unnoticed until it s too late becoming a cost ridden situation that is not easily corrected. Worker ants can be 1 4 inch up to 5 8 inch. Carpenter ants love wet and or moldy wood so if there is a moisture issue in any part of your home they ll be attracted to those areas. Carpenter ant facts all kinds of buildings regardless of age or type of construction are vulnerable to infestation and damage by carpenter ants.

Unlike termites carpenter ants don t eat wood they only tunnel into the structure to create a nest. However carpenter ants don t always get into your home by chewing their way through wood.