Termites are not the only pest that can damage your home. The fact is, a variety of different wood destroying pests are active here in Tennessee, and each represents its own unique threat to your home.
Among this group of unwanted houseguests is a particular pest that rivals even the termite in destructive ability: the carpenter ant. Carpenter ants build nests inside of wooden structures, and an unchecked infestation can cause major damage to your home.
So with this risk in mind, why do carpenter ants infest homes? And what are the signs of their activity which homeowners should be on the lookout for?
Carpenter ants are a social species, and as such, they establish large nests with a hierarchy system centered around the queen. The queen is responsible for producing new generations of ants. Since carpenter ant queens can live for over 20 years, they will produce thousands of ants throughout their lifetime.
The ants produced by the queens fulfill two primary roles: workers and swarmers. The worker ants are tasked with scavenging for food, defending the nest, and caring for the queen and her offspring. Worker ants are often what homeowner’s first spot, as these are the pests that move in and around the home.
The appearance of carpenter ant workers varies from species to species, but generally, they grow to around 1/2 inch in length and are black or burgundy in coloration.
When a nest population grows to be too large, carpenter ants will sometimes establish satellite colonies in the local area. This is where the swarmers, or alates, come in.
Carpenter ant swarmers are the winged, reproductive caste of the ant colony. These pests are usually dark in color and grow to around 3/4 inch in length. During the late spring and summer evenings, these winged creatures will be seen gathered around your property. Typically, all local carpenter ant nests will release swarmers at the same time. The swarmers will mate, lose their wings, and then establish their own nests.
Though these nests can take a few years to become a threat, the presence of swarmers around your property is a sign of current AND future carpenter ant activity.
Despite that their nesting tendencies and their name might suggest, carpenter ants do not actually consume wood. Carpenter ants lack the specialized bacteria that termites use to break down cellulose in wood.
Instead, carpenter ants must also nest near areas that can sustain their need for food. Their diet is very diverse, and they can consume other insects, spilled or stored foods, and any sweet or meat that is available to them. Interestingly, some species of carpenter ants will tend aphids to provide themselves a source of honeydew for consumption. Carpenter ants will typically forage for food at night, and thus it is rare to spot them scavenging under normal circumstances.
Though they do not consume wood, carpenter ants will tunnel throughout the structure of your home or furniture. This will rarely lead to dangerous structural damage but can detract from your home aesthetically.
Carpenter ants target wood that is moist and damaged. Thus they commonly go after areas of the home that receive a fair amount of weathering. This often leads them to infest skylights, basements, and parts of the home with wood-to-ground contact.
If you spot carpenter ants in your home, the first step you should take is to determine whether or not they have come from an indoor or outdoor nest. If you are seeing large numbers of ants, it is unlikely that they have simply wandered in as a group. If you spot swarmers indoors it is a clear sign of an indoor nesting site.
Carpenter ants most often enter homes initially in search of food or moisture. As such, the most effective way to keep them out of your home is by managing the conditions that could be conducive to their infestation. Steps such as maintaining the wood around your home, controlling moisture levels, and sealing any exterior access avenues will all help to reduce your risk of carpenter ant invasion.
If you are concerned about your home’s vulnerability to these pests, you should consult a pest control professional. A trained technician can identify signs of pest activity around your home, provide treatment when necessary, and give you advice about how best to protect your home from pests.
At Volunteer Rid-A-Pest, we have decades of experience in the pest industry, and we want to be your ONE CALL solution to any pest problem! We employ a range of safe, targeted treatment tools designed to combat pest threats of any kind. All of our treatments are offered at fair prices and backed by an industry leading quality guarantee that ensures that you have a hassle-free solution to your pest problems!
So if you are dealing with carpenter ants, call us today at 423-698-7205 OR 423-472-7736!
By: Erik
