Carpenter Ant Damage

What To Know if You Suspect Carpenter Ants

You might be going about your morning, drinking a cup of coffee, getting ready for the rest of your day. All of a sudden you notice a strange little pile of wood shavings in the corner of your living room. As you move to inspect this strange sight you notice that wood shavings are being ejected from a small hole in your drywall above the baseboard. You may want to inspect this area a little more closely as this is certainly not a normal occurrence. You decide to tap the wall to see if anything comes out and as soon as you do, dozens of large and small aggravated ants explode out of the wall.

Most homeowners immediately will reach for a can of pressurized insecticide or their favorite “spray” to kill whatever ants they are seeing. Unfortunately, that course of action can be detrimental and can yield results that are contrary to what is desired. After self-treatment, many people can be convinced that the ants are here to stay. So, how could this infestation have been started? Could this have been prevented? Are there any signs you can look out for? If you have carpenter ants, what should you do?

Carpenter Ant Biology

There are around fifty species of carpenter ants in the US alone and nine of which call the state of Oregon home. Carpenter ants can come in many sizes and colors which can make identifying them challenging if you only see the ant itself. These ants play an important role in nature, they clear out chambers in dead or dying trees to use for nesting chambers. While the ants do this they unknowingly pave the way for fungi to decompose & recycle the tree they inhabit.

Carpenter ants are polymorphic (poly=many; morphic=sizes) and as such can range anywhere from ¼” to ⅝”. They can be easily identified by their smooth rounded thorax (the area between the head and the back end) and their large, peaked node (it is right in between their thorax and abdomen). Most carpenter ants will have a single queen that controls the colony but a few species here will have multiple queens. Once a colony is mature they will set up smaller satellite colonies around the area that they inhabit which can make controlling them fairly challenging. These satellite colonies may or may not house a queen but will often contain several minor and major workers, larvae, and food that they distribute to the rest of the colony.

Most ants will produce winged males and females when the colony matures, those that are female will become queens of their own colony and the males will die shortly after mating. These winged ants are commonly called swarmers, reproductives, or alates (A-late) and will depart on their nuptial/mating flights shortly after some rainfall on a moderately humid day. The winged females will seek out a crack or crevice in a suitable piece of wood and will get to work constructing a nest for herself and her future colony. Out in nature, this is a perfectly acceptable thing to do, it only becomes an issue when they set their sights on our homes. Now how can you recognize signs of damage if you dont see any ants?

What ar the Signs of Carpenter Ant Damage?

Most carpenter ants are nocturnal so this may make finding them difficult. Like the hypothetical situation above you may notice a small pile of wood shavings or multiple piles in your home. If you do locate these piles the next step would be to look for exit holes where they would eject the shavings. You might hear rustling or crinkling sounds in your walls at night time while the ants are clearing out nesting chambers for their colony. If you are lucky enough to find a nesting chamber you will see smooth tunnels that look like they’ve been smoothed over with sandpaper. Another telltale sign of an infestation is if you see these ants trailing on or into your home. Typically these ants prefer to be at an elevation so look around your eaves, gutters, and fascia to spot them.

How Can I Avoid Carpenter Ants?

In order to lessen the chance of getting carpenter ants, you can take five proactive steps to help avoid them. The first and most important step is to manage any rot or moisture around your property. Keep an eye on the siding, fascia, or any other wooden component of your home. If you find that there is some rot you should have that piece of wood replaced. The second step you can take is to clear any vegetation at least two feet away from the base of the structure, this prevents moisture from building up against the base of the home and it cuts off any easy routes up onto the home. Clearing away vegetation will also help with rodents and other insects as they typically don’t like being out in the open. The third step is to keep any firewood away from the home, I always suggest 15-20 feet if that is an option. Keeping the firewood elevated will also help deter pests, you can build a metal frame to store it on or you can purchase a similar product from most hardware stores. The fourth step is to trim any trees and branches away from the structure, carpenter ants will readily use a tree branch as a means of gaining access into your home. The fifth step is to have an ongoing pest control service to help prevent and avoid carpenter ants.

What Can I Do If I Have Carpenter Ants Already?

The very first thing you should do is call an expert, carpenter ants have the potential to cause significant damage to your home or business. Self-treatments often cause the ants to spread to different areas of the home which can make the treatment process seem to drag on. If you cant stand seeing the ants in your home you can use a rag with soapy water to wipe them away, this will wipe away any pheromone trails that the ants will lay down and it will provide temporary relief while an expert is on their way. Carpenter ant colonies often consist of a “parent” nest and one or several colonies, often those satellite colonies will be inside or in close proximity to the home. Unless the queen(s) and/or brood are eliminated the ants will persist so having an aggressive ant control program is absolutely necessary.

Bug Zapper pest control offers an excellent service to keep these ants out of your home or business. Our silver or gold pest control service packages will not only eliminate any current issues but they will also help you avoid a wide variety of other pests in the Oregon area. Our team of pest control professionals are standing by and are just a phone call away to help with all of your pest-related needs.