Carpenter Ants – A Wood Boring Pest.

Carpenter ant is one of the most common structural pests found in and around the home. They are attracted to wood which has been exposed to moisture. Carpenter ants tunnel and make nests in soft wood, however, they do not eat the wood. The largest of the ant family, the carpenter ant ranges from 1/4 to 3/4 inches (3/5-2 cm), has a constricted waist, bent antennae and is black, reddish-black or brownish black in colour. Any wooden areas (porch, tree, veranda, step, door, etc.) which become moist are vulnerable to carpenter ant attack. This is particularly true of rotting sections of wood. The worker ant finds an entry route by gnawing a clean tunnel parallel to the wood grain wherever a crack or crevice exists. The wood is chewed and discarded outside the tunnel. The discarded shavings, which resemble sawdust, provide an indication of nesting areas. Often, the nest is extended into sound wood.

Carpenter ants must leave their wooden tunnels to search for food. Popular food sources consist of aphid honeydew, other insects (living or dead), plant juices, and food (fats, sugar and other sweets) found in the home.

We propose to exterminate Carpenter ants via bait method like most other species of Ants. The worker ants not only feed themselves but also carry the bait to the Ants in the colony. Since the bait takes a few hours to kill an Ant, the entire colony gets to feed on the bait. That is how the problem is eadicated at it’s root level. Bait method is not intrusive and does not require client to leave. Also it poses no danger to the residents. Hence, the quality and flow of life is not impacted by such bait extermination service.

Characteristics

SIZE

7 to 13 mm.

COLOR

Dark Brown to Black.

THREATS

Wood Boring.

EXTERMINATION TECHNIQUE

Indoors: Variety of Baits.

Carpenter Ants Damage