Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are a familiar pest in the United States, and can be a costly infestation, especially for Cape Cod residents & business owners. Like termites, they burrow through wood, unconcerned with whether it’s a fallen tree outside or the studs that hold your building up.
What do Carpenter ants look like?
Carpenter ants are not an individual species, but rather a genus to which around 1,000 different species belong. The most common carpenter ant species in the United States is the black carpenter ant, so named because all of its members (queens, workers, foragers) are colored black. There are also some red/brown species of carpenter ants that are less widely encountered in the US.
Carpenter ants typically range in size from around ¼” to ½” for workers, and up to ¾” for queens.
Where would I find Carpenter ants?
Carpenter ants build their nests in deadwood. In the wild, they take up residence in fallen trees, digging through the wood to create their nest. In developed areas, they will nest in the wood found in building walls, floors, and ceilings.
They can leave behind a sawdust-like material called frass that provides clues to their nesting location. The galleries they chew out of wood will be smooth, as opposed to the rough, mud-packed appearance of termite-damaged wood.
What do Carpenter ants eat?
Carpenter ants are foragers that typically eat parts of dead insects or substances derived from other insects. Common foods for them include insect parts, the "honeydew" produced by aphids, or some plant secretions.
Are Carpenter ants dangerous, and if so, how dangerous?
Carpenter ants are not directly dangerous to humans-- they have no noticeable sting and are not aggressive. However, they can and will chew through the wooden structure of buildings including homes. With enough time, a colony can severely weaken a building’s structural integrity. If you find carpenter ants in your home or workplace, an inspection should be done to estimate the damage done to the building structure and what repairs may be necessary.
Contact The Cape Cod Ant Removal Experts
Contact us By phone at (508) 237-9536 or fill out the contact form below if you believe you may have an ant infestation in your home.
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