Scientific name: Camponotus
Unlike many of the ants you will come into contact with, carpenter ants are big. They are about as long as half of a paper clip. While the most common color is black, some species of carpenter ant can have a reddish or yellow coloration. The worker ants also have large mandibles.
General Information
Like other ants, carpenter ants love protein and sweets. If your home or office has the food they like, carpenter ants will do everything they can to get it. There is something about carpenter ants that sets them apart from every other ant. Carpenter ants make their homes in wood. They carve massive tunnels, galleries and pathways through wood. Large infestations can cause critical damage to homes and buildings. They target wood that has been damaged by water, but their large mandibles make it possible to tunnel through sound woods as well.
Signs of an Infestation
Since carpenter ants work behind walls, it is often difficult to see an infestation. As the colony gets bigger, special ants with wings will emerge from the nest. This is your first sign. If you notice a bunch of winged ants crowded around your windows, it is time to get suspicious. The next sign is the debris. Since carpenter ants do not eat wood, they have to push the excavated wood out. They also push out any trash. You will begin to notice piles of rough saw dust and dead ant bodies. The last sign is the sound. Inside of a carpenter ant colony there can be as many as 10,000 individual ants. All of those ant bodies scurrying around make noise. You will be able to hear a rustling sound inside of your walls. If you find a sign of carpenter ants, you need to call in the professionals with Pointe Pest Control.
Treatment
With Pointe Pest Control, we target the main colony and any satellite colonies that have been formed. Our certified, expert technicians will be able to identify the issue and eliminate the entire colony. When a carpenter ant colony is found early, the damage will be minimal. A large infestation of carpenter ants will make the damage more severe. If you suspect carpenter ants, the worst thing you can do is wait. The best thing you can do is call Pointe Pest Control.