Photo courtesy of National Pest Management Association/Tom Myers
Photo courtesy of National Pest Management Association/Tom Myers
Carpenter Ant Pest Control
Carpenter ants get their name because they excavate wood in order to build their nests. Their excavation results in smooth tunnels inside the wood. Size ranges from one-fourth inch for a worker ant to up to three-fourths inch for a queen in the most common species.
Carpenter ants range from red to black in color and build nests in deteriorating, moist wood; often the colony will extend its nest into adjacent, sound wood. They are commonly found in porch pillars and roofs, window sills, telephone poles, live and dead trees, rotting logs, and stumps and wood in contact with soil. Carpenter ants damage wood through their nest building. If they gain entry to a structure, they pose a property threat.
All species of Carpenter Ants mainly attack wood that is or has been wet and damaged by mold. Even though these ants first invade wet, decayed wood, they may soon begin building paths through dry, undamaged wood. They usually come into buildings through cracks around doors, windows, or through holes for wires. Ants will also crawl along overhead wires, shrubs, or tree limbs that touch the building far above the ground.
Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, firewood, or landscaping. They need a constant water source to survive. They will enter homes through wet, damaged wood.