Your 2016 Guide to Carpenter Ants

Your 2016 Guide to Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants aren’t as terrifying as termites when it comes to the amount of damage they can do, but they can still be a cause of concern if they’ve decided to make a nest in any damp wood in or around your home. If you’re worried the ants marching around your Naperville home are carpenter ants, look a little closer using this handy guide.

What they look like

Carpenter ants are larger than most ants, varying in length from ¼ inch to ¾ inch. They have narrow waists and antennae that bend, and are usually black in color.

Where you’ll find them

If you’ve seen ants in your bathroom, laundry area, or in a damp crawlspace or basement, odds are they’re carpenter ants. These insects love to settle in areas with high moisture levels, which is why in nature they’re often found building colonies in rotting tree stumps. You might also find them under roof shingles, near chimneys, in piles of firewood, under decks, and in areas around rain gutters.

About their nests

Carpenter ant colonies can contain up to 3,000 ants, creating a need for large nests with long tunnels. Unlike termites, whose galleries are full of mud and sawdust, carpenter ant tunnels are quite tidy, with coarse sawdust often visible at the opening.

Type of damage

Carpenter ants don’t eat the wood, they just chisel it out of the way. This means they often don’t cause structural damage, but can still do enough to be a cause of concern. What’s more, the presence of carpenter ants is often a sign of a larger problem, as it usually means you’ve got wet, rotting wood somewhere in your home.

Control

If you think the ants you’re seeing around your home could be carpenter ants, give the experts at Point Pest Control a call. We’ll help you identify the root of the problem and rid your home of the ants safely and effectively.