Carpenter Ants

Biology

The carpenter ant may have 3,000 ants per colony and could have up to 15,000 ants in separate satellite colonies. Nests usually originate in moist and decayed wood. You may see coarse sawdust piles that contain insect body parts and listen for the sound produced as workers chew to remove wood to enlarge the nest. Outside, nests are commonly found in dead or damaged portions of trees, rotting logs and stumps.

Feeding Preferences

Carpenter ants feed on insects and plants. Indoors, they normally feed on food debris, pet foods, and grease.

Transmitted Diseases

The carpenter ant is not known to transmit human diseases.

Habits

The carpenter ant can travel alone or along trails for more than 300 feet from the nest. “Trunk trails” between parent and satellite nests are clear of vegetation usually crossing lawns. Normally the carpenter ants enter buildings around door and window frames, through eaves, along plumbing and utility lines, and over branches touching the structure.

Outside, nests are typically located in rotting fence posts, stumps, old firewood, and dead portions of standing trees.

The carpenter ant nest is usually found by a rustling sound coming from the wall voids or from wood where the colony is located. In other cases the sight of swarmers inside the structure indicates and indoor colony.

Carpenter Ant Extermination

Expert Pest Management will perform a thorough treatment on the exterior and interior of your structure by our trained professional. We will locate all problem areas and properly identify the pest you are having. All programs are specially designed to target the pest that is infesting your structure.