S & W Pest Management Inc : Insect Guide

Pest Guide » Ants » Carpenter Ants:

Carpenter Ants
Camponotus species
Color: Varies depending on species, from red to black or a combination. The two most common species are black.
Legs: Six
Shape: Segmented; oval
Size: 3/8" - 1/2"
Antennae: Yes
Flight: Only the swarming reprodustives.

The sight of a big, black carpenter ant scurrying across the floor is a worrying sight for many because it might mean that they are nesting somewhere in the house. Carpenter ants feed on a wide variety of foods, especially other insects. The favored food of adults, however, is the sweet honeydew produced by aphids and mealybugs.

Carpenter ants make satellite nests where they care for the older larvae and pupae that tolerate lower moisture level. These nests are often in wall voids and eaves, ceilings or under insulation in attics or crawl spaces. Unlike other home-inhabiting ants, carpenter ants cause structural damage to wood by tunneling and nesting inside wood structures. They rarely nest in sound wood, but consistently invade wood that has become wet and started to decay. This excavation results in smooth tunnels inside the wood. Most nests in homes are satellite nests that maintain communication with the main nest.

In the spring, mature colonies will produce winged reproductives, swarmers, these swarms often occur from satellite colonies within the home. It is possible to see large flying ants in homes at night. Swarming Carpenter ants can be mistaken for termites. Swarming ants, however, will shed their wings and search for decaying wood to begin their nest.

Like most ants, Carpenter ants can be difficult to control. Prevention is key.

Prevention Outdoors:

Store fire wood away from your home and remove piles of lumber or other decaying wood that could serve as a nesting site for ants.
Keep mulch less than 2" thick and at least 12" away from foundations.
Eliminate sources of moisture such as leaky faucets, plumbing, and free-standing water. Also, make sure that your sprinkler system does not spray directly onto the foundation of your home or business.
You may want to re-landscape. Avoid using plants that are prone to aphids.

Prevention Indoors:

Clean windows of dead insects, Carpenter ants will feed on them.
If ants are trailing to food, remove the food source and wipe ant trails with a mild detergent to erase the trail pheromone. The trail pheromone is a specialized chemical that foraging ants emit to guide other foraging ants to food or to a new nesting place.

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