Carpenter Ant

Have you noticed small openings on any of the surfaces of wood around your home windows, doors, deck or other wood areas of your home or the appearance of sawdust-like shavings below these holes? Would it surprise you to know this could be the work of an ant? Not just any ant, but one commonly known as a carpenter ant.

Unless the carpenter ant nest was near a heat source the last few months, they would have remained dormant for the colder winter months. With the warmer weather upon us, you may be seeing carpenter ants as well as a variety of other ants around your yard.

All ants are social insects, so if you see one, chances are there are more ants not far away.

One of the more problematic ants you may encounter are carpenter ants. These ants are structurally damaging wood destroying insects that could be silently damaging your home. Carpenter ants prefer damp, damaged wood to hollow out. As a homeowner, you should be on the lookout for issues of moisture accumulation around the home. Moisture issues can cause wood to rot making these areas more susceptible to carpenter ant infestation.

Most carpenter ants are black, however they can sometimes be red or brown or a combination but their larger size, from ½” to 5/8” is usually what gives them away.

Just like termites, carpenter ants can compromise wooden structures. Also like termites, carpenter ant swarms may appear during the early spring months. Swarms of carpenter ants usually indicate a colony has been developing for two or more years and is present or nearby.

One of the differences between carpenter ants and termites is termites actually ingest the wood. Carpenter ants will only chew and spit out the wood to hollow out groves and tunnels to make space for connecting to their nest. Carpenter ants will leave behind sawdust-like wood shavings, or frass, so while it is a slower process and may take longer for the damage to your home to be noticeable, make no mistake, carpenter ants are still a wood destroying insect. Periodic visual checks around roofline eaves, window frames, doorways, porches, patios and decks are recommended to locate and treat the nest, or nests before further infestation can occur.

To identify a pest issue or if you suspect you may have carpenter ants, call or contact Bio-Tech Pest Control at 281-296-6022.