When using pesticides, always follow the instructions on the packaging. Also, only apply it to nests killing individual worker ants won’t make a dent in the problem. If you haven’t had any success with DIY methods, it’s better to call a professional ants exterminator sooner rather than later.
A pest control company will have access to better equipment and pesticidal products than most homeowners, and they’ll know how to access hidden nests while causing the least possible amount of structural damage to your home.
Carpenter ants require a water source to survive. To prevent brown, red or black carpenter ants in the house, eliminate sources of moisture or standing water. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house. Sometimes pests use these branches to get into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around the bottom of doors or around windows. Seal all openings with a silicone-based caulk. Also, keep firewood and building materials stored away from the home. Carpenter ants like to build nests in stacks of wood.
Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, firewood or landscaping. They need a constant water source to survive. Carpenter ants will enter the house through wet, damaged wood.
Most species of carpenter ants attack wood that is currently or has previously been wet and damaged by mold. Even though carpenter ants first invade wet, decayed wood, they may later begin excavating tunnels through dry, undamaged wood. They usually come into buildings through cracks around doors, windows, or through plumbing and electrical penetrations in the home. They will also crawl along overhead wires, shrubs, or tree limbs outdoors that touch the building above ground, then enter the home through any small opening.
Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, rotting fence posts, old firewood, under stones, etc. The parent colony, or main colony, is typically located outside and contains the queen, eggs and young. Satellite nests can occur and branch out from the main parent colony and they only contain workers, mature larvae and pupae. Satellite nests are formed in mid-summer both indoors and outdoors and do not form until the parent colony matures over several years. Usually around August, the workers and winged ants will emerge from the pupae.
Carpenter ants will begin mating flights in a process called swarming. Winged males are typically the first to emerge when environmental conditions like temperature and extended daylight signify that it’s time to swarm. If conditions are right, the male releases a pheromone that stimulates the female to leave her nest. The first appearance of winged males in a home often causes homeowners great concern, as it signifies that ants are living inside the house. Otherwise, the presence of a carpenter ant nest indoors is sometimes indicated by a rustling sound that will come from wall voids or from wood where the nest is located when the winged forms are disturbed.
Carpenter ants feed primarily on insect honeydew, plant and fruit juices, insects and other arthropods. Inside, they will also feed on sweets, eggs, meats, cakes and grease. The workers will forage up to 300 feet from their nest. Although some workers are active during the day, most activity occurs from shortly before dusk until dawn.
What do pest control companies use for carpenter ants?
Pest Control for Carpenter ants to your home or Commercial business against big large black carpenter ants, Carpenter ants extermination exterminators takes into account the biology of Carpenter ants and that is why pest control try to get home and building owners on a seasonal visit program. This allows us to get to your home or Commercial building before the wood destroying ants do each year. Wood-destroying invaders throughout the spring and summer.
Homeowners insurance rarely covers the cost of carpenter ant damage. Therefore, prevention and protection against carpenter ants is a worthwhile investment to protect your home and business.
What are the big black huge, large house carpenter ants?
carpenter ants don’t spread disease, they can be a considerable nuisance and can cause damage to your home. Often confused with termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they do tunnel through it to build nests. They can be difficult to locate and require professional treatment because of the damage they can cause to wood elements and foam insulation in your home.
How to identify and get rid of carpenter ants?
Carpenter ants average about 3/8 inch in length but can range from about 1/4 to 1 inch. This makes carpenter ants among the larger species of ants, but size alone is not an indicator, as there are several other types of ants of similar size. You may need to examine an ant closely under a magnifying glass to verify that its identity. The main indicators include a smooth, rounded back and a narrow, pinched waist with a small hump.
How serious are carpenter ants?
carpenter ants will cause serious damage to the structural integrity of your home or commercial business buildings. Even if you think your home is safe because it’s made of brick, you likely have some wooden components that you hadn’t thought about. Support beams, frames, and even foundations are often made of wood that can be destroyed by ants.
Carpenter ants prefer to make their nests in wood that has already experienced some water damage. That’s why it’s important to keep your plumbing up to date and get regular inspections. A small leak can cause wood to rot, which invites pesky ants to make their home there.
What will kill carpenter ants?
Carpenter ants rely on pheromone trails to find food sources and to travel. By cleaning surfaces where ants have traveled, you’ve destroyed this treasure map to your home. You can use essential oils like tea tree, lemon, orange, or cedarwood on a cotton ball to wipe down surfaces to interrupt these trails.