How can you tell if you have carpenter ants?

The carpenter ant is one of the largest ant species, and therefore easily recognizable by its imposing size. It measures between 1 and 2 centimeters and is generally black or a very dark color. Carpenter ants have an overdeveloped head and mandibles that help them to chew through wood. They are winged insects that lose their wings during mating.

They live in groups and are generally most active in the spring and summer. They feed on insects and anything else people consume. Carpenter ants multiply rapidly and can become a real threat to your home because of the numerous nests they can build in a short time.

They are often confused with termites, but it is easy to differentiate them, as carpenter ants have jointed and folded antennae and a well-defined size, unlike termites which have thick, straight antennae and no defined size.

Carpenter ants are wood-boring insects, so an infestation can seriously damage the structure of your house. When building their nests, they burrow into the wood of your structure, creating small holes that, over time, can weaken and destroy the structure of your home. They particularly like rotten or waterlogged wood and will hide in your houses to feed and shelter from the winter cold.

The level of damage a carpenter ant infestation can cause to a home varies depending on how long the ants remain active. If a colony has been actively infesting a house for an extended period, the damage can be extensive. Therefore, it is crucial that infestations be detected and treated as quickly as possible by a professional pest control service.

Here are some signs of a carpenter ant infestation:

01. Presence of carpenter ants in your house

Upon arriving in your home, the queen carpenter ant sends out worker ants to search for food and water. If you see one, consider it a warning. Carpenter ants have a wide variety of food sources that are more readily available outside the house. This means that even if you only encounter one or two ants inside your home, there's a good chance you have an infestation.

02. Seeing winged creatures emerge from holes or crevices in doors and windows

During mating season, carpenter ants lose their wings. If you notice several wings accumulated on your windowsills, floors, or any other surface, be sure to contact a professional exterminator. You might also see wings caught in spider webs.

03. Presence of small wood shavings (sawdust)

As carpenter ants establish their nests in the house, they leave a trail of sawdust that usually leads to their nests. In fact, it's likely that this is where the ant colonies infiltrated your home to build their nests.

Contrary to popular belief, carpenter ants don't eat wood; they use it to build their nests. You might therefore find wood shavings on the floor, near holes or cracks in doors, in your basement, garage, or any other isolated area. This sawdust can stick to walls or accumulate on surfaces.

04. Damage to wooden structures

If carpenter ants infest your property, you will notice areas of damaged wood. Ideally, you will find this damage on external structures (fence, deck, shed, etc.). Carpenter ant damage sometimes resembles termite damage and can take various forms: tunnels, galleries, holes, rot, etc.

You are likely to find damage in wet areas (on fence posts, at the base of buildings where the wood touches the ground, on wood that is in shady places, etc.).

05. Low noise in the walls or ceilings

This is not usually a telltale sign, as the noise produced by carpenter ants is very faint, if not inaudible. However, if you hear a cracking or grinding sound in your walls or ceilings, it could be the rustling coming from their nests.

Prevention

Prevention is often the best solution. To prevent carpenter ants from infiltrating your home, the first thing to do is to carry out a complete inspection of the exterior of your property and the surrounding land, since the presence of a nest near your house greatly increases the risk of infestation inside your home.

Also be sure to examine wood surfaces near windows, door frames, attics, fireplaces, bathtubs and any other places where water and wood could interact to cause moisture or rot.

Locate and destroy the nests

The most effective way to get rid of carpenter ants is to find the nest and destroy it. The most common places to find carpenter ant nests are hollow doors, window sills, ceilings… It may seem easy to spot, but these nests can sometimes be very difficult to find.

Contact an exterminator

Carpenter ants are very tough and resilient insects. They are pests that are virtually impossible to eliminate on your own, and if you don't exterminate them all, they will keep coming back and continue to damage your home.

The most effective solution to get rid of your carpenter ant problem is to call a professional exterminator. Don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or would like more information about our extermination services.