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Carpenter Ants
Camponotus
Topics:
 Carpenter
ants are the most common pests we exterminate.
Several species exist in North America.
Carpenter ants belong to the class of insects known
as Hymenoptera, which also includes bees and wasps.
Carpenter ants derive their name from the appearance
of their nesting galleries, which are smooth, clean,
and sculptured. Unlike termites, you will find no
dirt, excrement, or sawdust in their nests.
Although it may appear that they eat wood like
termites, carpenter ants are not able to digest
cellulose. Instead, they prefer to eat insects and
decaying fruits. Should they decide to invade your
home, they will feast on most anything you eat,
including sugar-based products, butter, and even
steak.
The important question regarding carpenter ants is:
why do they invade homes? Some species of carpenter
ants prefer the outdoors while other species are
prone to infesting structures. If ants decide to
nest outside, they will use places like hollow
trees, rotten stumps, firewood piles, or soil
beneath fallen timber. When they invade a house,
they probably get there one of two ways or possibly
both. A founding queen may start her colony in a
building and the budding population may take several
years to become a noticeable problem. The other
primary means of structure occupation is when a
mature colony takes up residence in a
susceptible
structure in a wooded area, which is usually
adjacent to their existing nest.
The appearance of carpenter ants varies. Some are
small. Others are among the largest ants known.
Workers tend to be 1/4"-3/4" long. Winged ants,
which are the reproductive males and females, are
generally longer.
So, why should you worry about carpenter ants? You
may only spot a few ants, but those ants come from a
whole colony hard at work tunneling and creating
nesting galleries just below the wood surfaces of
your building. If the ants' activity remains
neglected, severe structural damage is a likely
consequence. Early treatment will preclude having to
pay expensive fees to restore the structural
integrity of a building at a later date.
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