Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are large sized ants, ranging in size from the queen being 19.1mm (¾ inch) to worker ants measuring around 6.4mm (1/4 inch). In fact, the winged queen can even be up to 1 inch in size. As for the color, they are usually black, although they can sometimes even be black and red.

The Habitat of the Carpenter Ant

Belonging to the genus Camponotus, they are called carpenter ants since they make their colonies in wood. In nature, carpenter ants build their nests in trees as well as rotting stumps of wood and logs. But, they also make their nests in wooden structures in the home and outside, such as telephone poles. Usually, carpenter ant nests in the home are found in windowsills, roofing material, porch pillars, and any wood that is contact with the earth.

The wood that is excavated while the carpenter ants make their nest is not eaten by them, and instead is deposited in small piles outside the entrance of their colony. The wood in which they make their nests is used only for their nesting requirements. They keep their nesting sites clean and smooth, and do not line them with moist soil like termites do.

The Physical Features of Carpenter Ants

Ants can be divided into various types, such as: queens, males, and workers. In the carpenter ant species, the workers are polymorphous, or that they occur in various sizes.

There are several other species of ants that are sometimes mistaken for carpenter ants. One of the best ways of distinguishing carpenter ants from other species of ants is by the following physical features: the upper surface of the thorax is evenly rounded; the waist has only a single petiole, or node. Also, unlike the carpenter ant, the other species of ants do not infest wood.

The Breeding Habits of the Carpenter Ant

The nesting colonies that carpenter ants make are usually long lasting. A single queen that is fertilized establishes each colony by setting up a nesting site in a hollowed out space in the wood. The queen then produces a brood of workers first, using her salivary secretions to feed them. During this period, the queen does not feed herself nor leave the nest. Once the workers grow, they have the job of collecting food in order to feed the other larvae that are younger. The population of the colony thus continues to increase rapidly, with the supply of food becoming more regular. It is only when a colony has 2,000 workers, or more, that it reaches maturity, and has the capacity to produce young males and queens, which can take about 3-6 years, or even more. After a colony does reach this stage, it will continue producing winged males and queens, which fly away from their nesting sites in order to mate and form new colonies, which usually occurs from May to July.

The Kind of Damage Caused by Carpenter Ants

Although carpenter ants do not usually structurally damage buildings, however, since they hollow out wood for their nesting sites, and since these are long-lasting, it leads to considerable damage to wooden structures over a period of time. According to recent evidence, it has been observed that they cause a significant amount of damage to even foam insulation.

How to Control Carpenter Ant Infestation

One of the main methods of controlling carpenter ant infestation is locating and destroying their nesting sites. According to recent studies, carpenter ants use distinguishable trails of scent to travel between the parent nest and satellite colonies. They also depend on these scent trails to provide guidance to their nestmates about food locations. Homeowners can keep track of this trailing characteristic of the carpenter ant to find and get rid of their nests, by using an insecticide spray meant for this purpose.