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What Is The Carpenter Ant?
Most people think they know everything there is to know about the ant. Well, they might not think they know everything, but they think they know enough. Unfortunately, that is not the case at all, and this will be proven with the carpenter ant. It would be nearly impossible for someone to know everything there is to know about the ant, given that there are thousands upon thousands of species. The carpenter ant is just one of many with its six legs, two antennae, and three main body parts. These are just the characteristics that make the bugs stand out.
This and their black and reddish areas. While this is the case, some of the species will grow to be black, red, brown, or varying combinations of these colors. The workers in this colony can grow to reach as big as ½ inch in length while the queen will reach 5/8 inches in length. While all this is interesting and important, it is the fact that these are social creatures that make them so distinctive. Where you see one carpenter ant, you will see many.
How Can I Detect An Infestation?
If you have a carpenter ant infestation on your property, it won’t take long before the problem rears its head. That being said, the earlier the detection, the better. This will not only help you eliminate the problem sooner, but it’ll end up saving you some money. That being said, detection still won’t be the easiest thing in the world. This is, unless, you know the early warning signs. Here are some things you’ll want to keep an eye out for when dealing with potential carpenter ant infestations:
- Sight: In a carpenter ant infestation, you’ll see large, black carpenter ants foraging throughout the property
- Sawdust Mills: Carpenter ants chew through wood, hence their name. However, they might chew wood, but they don’t eat it. This means there is going to residue left behind after boring through wood products. Look for sawdust and sawdust trails
- Sound: When dealing with carpenter ant infestations, you can actually put your hear to the walls and hear the ants crawling inside. This is if they are inside
- Winged Ants: Carpenter ant swarmers will eventually break off from their primary nests to build their own colonies. This is something a lot of any species do and the carpenter ant is no different. That being said, spotting one of these ants flying around is double the trouble because it likely means there is already an established colony and now it might just be a matter of days or hours before you are dealing with another one
Why Do People Get Carpenter Ants?
The thing about carpenter ants is they bore into decaying wood. While this is not desirable and they will eventually move their way onto sound wood, it is better if they start in decaying wood. The wood is already in bad shape and you might catch the infestation before it spreads to the good wood. If you have ants there could only be a few reasons to explain this. One, they are either seeking shelter. Two, they are seeking water, or three, they are seeking food.
Are Carpenter Ants Dangerous?
Carpenter ants aren’t directly dangerous. They don’t bite, sting, or transmit disease, but they could indirectly harm you. Although it might take years and years, these ants could decay your wood enough to cause a standing structure to fall. While this is rare and it would take a huge infestation, one has to recognize that it is a possibility. Other than this, the biggest threat they pose is to your food. They’ll get into your food products and contaminate them.
How Can I Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants?
Eliminating carpenter ants is much harder than most people think. This is because they work cohesively together as a single unit for the betterment of the colony. In addition to this, they are social. They never travel alone and work together, making them one of the most formidable insects in your area. In order to completely eliminate the insect, you will have to trick one of the hosts into tracking poison back to the colony. This is something that usually requires the assistance of a trained and certified pest management professional. Only these individuals have access to the chemicals potent enough to kill these ants effectively.
Can I Eliminate Carpenter Ants On My Own?
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to successfully deal with carpenter ants without the assistance of a pest management professional. We are not just telling you this because we want your business, but you have to realize these over-the-counter pesticides just aren’t as effective. This is because they don’t contain the necessary ingredients. These ingredients needed to kill ants effectively are illegal and can only be purchased by licensed and trained EPA technicians. Keep this in mind when choosing a pest management firm in your area! These pesticides are extremely dangerous, especially in the wrong hands.
Are There Safer Alternatives?
Thanks to technology and the advancement of the pest industry, there are now safer alternatives available. More eco-friendly options have emerged in the field and are now available for application. While a lot of pest management firms shy away from these tools, we are more than willing to utilize them. We’ll use them to help us better serve you. These eco-friendly options are not always viable, but we’ll use them whenever we can. When pesticides are the only option, we make sure we utilize trained and certified techs to administer the treatments. In addition to this, every product we use is registered and certified by the EPA, just like our techs.
When Can You Get Here?
Thanks to everything we offer and our knowledge, we stay busy all year round. Regardless, we are here for you and can get someone out to the property within 24 to 48 hours after you make that initial call. We do have emergency services standing by, if and when they are needed.
If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.
