Carpenter Ant Identification & Prevention

Carpenter ants are social insects that live together in highly organized, complex colonies. These ants are wood-destroying pests because they build their nests inside pieces of wood. Unlike termites, another well-known wood-destroying pest, carpenter ants don’t eat wood; they only use it as a nesting site. 

Carpenter ants are large in size, with workers growing between ¼ and ½ an inch in length. They are usually black but can also be brown, red, or a combination of all three colors. 

Carpenter ants in Plymouth are best eliminated with the help of a professional. Keep reading to learn more about these destructive common household pests.

Yes, carpenter ants are dangerous; they are one of the more problematic ants to find their way into our Plymouth homes. Carpenter ants prefer to create their nests in wet or decaying pieces of wood. When carpenter ants enter our homes and decide to stay and nest, they can cause extensive and expensive structural damage over time. Though they first invade water-damaged pieces of wood, as their colony grows, they can start infiltrating sound wood.

Carpenter ants are omnivores and eat a wide variety of proteins, sweets, and carbohydrates. To help ensure the success of their large colonies, worker ants leave their nest each day to forage for food. Things like open trash cans, outdoor eating areas, hummingbird feeders, grills, and compost attract the attention of carpenter ants and keep them returning to Plymouth properties.

As carpenter ants are out and about searching for food sources, they commonly find a way into our homes through small openings in the exterior. If they find reliable food sources inside, they will keep returning, sometimes deciding to stay and nest within structural wood behind your home’s walls, under floors, and above ceilings.

Carpenter ants colonies thrive in heavily wooded areas where there are plentiful amounts of nesting sites available. Favorite outdoor nesting sites include dead trees, logs, stumps, and fallen trees. 

In nature, their nesting habits help to speed up the decomposition process. Yet, when carpenter ants decide to nest in our homes, they are dangerous, unwelcome pests that you need to remove without haste. 

Moisture problems in our homes caused by leaky pipes, fixtures, roofs, and air conditioners can damage structural wood. Structural wood found near sinks, tubs, windows, doors, and pipes often become nesting sites for carpenter ants.

Regularly finding large black ants trailing over your home’s surfaces should alert you to a potential carpenter ant infestation within your home.

Contact us at Combat Pest Control if you see large black ants moving in and around your home. Our professionals are committed to supporting homeowners and helping you maintain a pest-free home. We will provide the services to control, eliminate, and avoid future problems with carpenter ants and other household pests. We will eliminate carpenter ants from your home using bio-friendly products and high-quality treatments. Our targeted home pest control solutions are safe for people and pets and will remove these destructive pests from your home. Contact us today to learn more about our state-of-the-art ant control techniques that will work to get rid of carpenter ants.

We want to help you stop carpenter ants from damaging your home. Use these prevention tips to maintain an ant-free home:

• Get rid of tree stumps, fallen trees, wood piles, decaying wooden structures, and other potential nesting sites from your property.

• Remove things that can cause a build-up of moisture in and around your home, like leaky pipes, fixtures, and air conditioners.

• Seal defects like cracks in the foundation, damaged trim, or weatherstripping that can allow ants to move into your home. 

• Maintain a clean kitchen, wash dishes regularly, and pick up uneaten pet food to avoid attracting hungry carpenter ants into your home. 

For exceptional pest control in Plymouth, trust the professionals at Combat Pest Control.