Carpenter Ant

Description: They are commonly black; however, some species are red and black, solid red or brown in color. They have one node in the petiole and a circle of tiny hairs on the tip of the abdomen. Their thorax is evenly rounded when seen from the side.

Biology: The adult winged female or queens loses her wings soon after mating with the smaller male and selects a secluded nesting site where she raises the first brood of workers. These workers are very small but assume the care of the larvae and the queen after they mature. Future workers are larger than those from the first brood because they receive better care. All workers are wingless.

Habits: Carpenter ants are social insects that usually nest in wood. They commonly excavate galleries or tunnels in rotting or sound trees and in structures readily infest wood, foam insulation and cavities. They prefer to excavate wood damaged by fungus and are often found conjunction with moisture problems.

The workers excavate the nest, forage for food and care for the young. Carpenter ants feed on sugar solutions from honey dew-producing insects such as aphids, sweets, and the juices of insects they capture. They do not eat the wood as they excavate their nests. They actively feed at night well after sunset continuing through the early morning hours. Foraging trails may extend yp to 300 feet and upon close inspection can be seen on the ground as narrow worn paths.

Carpenter ants enter structures through gaps or cracks while foraging for food.However the appearance of large numbers of winged adults inside a structure indicates that the nest(s) exists indoors. The workers push wood shavings and pieces of foam insulation out of the nest through slit-like openings in the surface of the wood or other nesting site material. This material, which may contain fragments of other insects and structural moisture problems are things to look for when trying to locate a colony in an infested structure. Rustling sounds in wall voids are another indication that there is a colony in the area.

Control: Carpenter ant control can be very difficult and thus, requires an integrated approach which involves moisture elimination, removing overhanging tree limbs, stumps and firewood and mechanical alterations to prevent entry. It is important to locate the source of the ants, i.e., the nest and satellite nests. Areas where water leaks occur, particularly the roof, soffits, bathroom and kitchen should be inspected. The most complete control is accomplished when the nests are treated with a residual spray or dust. This may involve drilling holes in hollow doors, wall voids, ceiling voids, etc. which these ants exploit for nesting sites. In some situations, it maybe useful to drill infested wood and apply a dust or liquid formulation directly into the galleries. Infestations can be reduced but not eliminated by treating the trails followed by the workers while foraging. Infestations that originate outdoors can be reduced by the application of barrier treatments using microencapsulated or wettable powder formulations.