Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ant Identifying Characteristics

A carpenter ant is a social insect that lives and travels in colonies. The identifying characteristics of a carpenter ant include a segmented body, two antennas, mandibles, six legs, and reddish/black coloration. The colony is comprised of a queen, workers, soldiers, and swarmers. The worker carpenter ant measures between 1/8” to ½” in length, which is slightly shorter than the queen’s 5/8” length. The mandible is utilized for several tasks, including tunnel excavation, feeding, and defense. While most carpenter ants are black, a few in the colony will be brown and brown. These social insects can be seen traveling in colonies along pathways, walkways, and grass ways.

How To Identify A Carpenter Ant Infestation?

The signs of a carpenter ant infestation include the following:

Visual Sighting – Workers foraging for food in the interior and exterior of your home
Trails Of Sawdust – Workers utilize their mandibles to gnaw away wood structures to prepare for tunneling. The sawdust left behind by carpenter ants has been deemed “frass”
Audible Noise – Humans can hear a colony of carpenter ants foraging for food, clearing away wooden structures, and excavating tunnels
Winged Swarmers – Adult carpenter swarmers have one primary responsibility – mating with the queen

Why Is My Home Infested With Carpenter Ants?

Homes that are targeted by carpenter bees offer the essentials of survival – food, water, and shelter. However, without access points, the home would never have been a target. As far as your property being, infested with these insects, the contributor is mostly likely decaying wood. Carpenter ants prey on downed trees, fallen branches, old firewood piles, and rotting lumber. If the interior of your home is infested with carpenter ants, it only makes sense that a larger part of the colony in close proximity but around the exterior of your home. When a colony is split, the group inside the home is called a “satellite” colony. Unlike some insect species, the carpenter ant coincidentally invades a home while out foraging for food. Access points around windows, doors, plumbing pipes and electrical wiring are responsible for satellite colony living inside your home.

Are Carpenter Ant Infestations Harmful?

Carpenter ants have not been linked to human or animal diseases. The only thing that may be in danger is your home and any exterior buildings on your property. These pests are notorious for the structural damage left in their path.

Does DIY Pest Control Work For Carpenter Ant Infestations?

Depending on the infestation level of severity, which is determined by the colony size and insect numbers. The larger the colony and higher the number of insects, the more powerful the pest control strategy. Unfortunately, DIY pest control pesticides are only available in standard-grade strength. These baseline pesticides are only suitable for mild carpenter ant infestations in the early phases. With this said, there are a few things you can do to prepare for the arrival of the exterminator. Start by removing all downed branches, trees, and leaves from your property. If you have firewood and lumber piles that are no longer of benefit, you will need to dispose of those as well. Try free curbside pick-up because Livonia residents are always on the lookout for freebies.

When Should I Expect The Exterminator To Arrive At My Home?

To initiate our carpenter ant pest control, you must contact our office to request a consultation or visual inspection. Once we receive the request, a member of our customer support team will begin processing it. A licensed exterminator will be dispatched to your home within 24 to 48 hours of the initial pest control request.

Is Carpenter Ant Pest Control Pesticides Dangerous?

Pest control pesticides are available in varying strengths and formulas – chemical, organic, eco-friendly, and nontoxic. Our pesticide and non-pesticide pest control products have been approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA is a government agency that oversees the production and sale of pesticides and other extermination products and techniques. Please feel free to contact our Livonia pest control team to learn more about our EPA-approved pest control eco-friendly and chemical-based treatments.

Is It Possible To Prevent A Secondary Carpenter Ant Infestation?

It cannot be stressed enough that carpenter ants do not prey on homes like some other insect species. In fact, these insects prefer living in the outdoors where decaying wood sources and land are plentiful. The worker is the hardest-working member of the carpenter ant colony. If you spot a colony of carpenter ants foraging for food in the interior of your home, they are most likely a satellite colony of workers. It is in your best interest to know as much about the insect as possible. This knowledge can be applied to a customized pest control prevention strategy to maximize the results. Our exterminators will work with your schedule and budget to ensure access to one of Livonia’s top pest control services.

Table of Contents