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True Carpenter Ant
Camponotus
modoc |
Cavity Dwelling
Carpenter Ant
Camponotus
vicinus
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Description
There are many different kinds of carpenter ants. The two
that most commonly nest inside houses are large, heavy-bodied ants. Worker
ants are wingless and range in size from about 6 mm to 10 mm long. The
worker ants of one species are black (Camponotus modoc).
These are the ants that can cause significant damage to wood. The workers of the other species have
black heads and abdomens (tail-ends) and reddish thoraxes (middle-part) (Camponotus vicinus).
They normally are found in cavities or spaces such as between
insulation and wood.
Unmated queens and male ants have wings. The queens are
about 20 mm long, including their wings, while the males are about 11 mm
long.
Colonies
Thousands of carpenter ants live together in a colony. Each
colony has one or possibly a few queens which do all the egg-laying. The
queens live in damp wood such as a stump or where there is a leak in a
house.
Worker ants gather food, raise the young and hollow out wood
to expand the nest. They may live in the damp wood with the queen, or they
may take some of the developing young and move to a dry location. A nest of
carpenter ants which develops in a separate location from where the queen
lives is known as a satellite nest. 75% of carpenter ant infestations in
homes have between 1 and 3 of these satellite nests.
Winged reproductive males and females only develop in large,
well-established colonies. They may develop in either the main nest or in a
satellite nest.
Food
Carpenter ants eat a wide variety of things. A large part of
their diet is other insects and honeydew from aphids that they find on trees
and shrubs. They also will eat dead animals, sweet materials from plants,
humming bird nectar and many things they find in kitchens. Carpenter ants do
not eat wood.
Signs of an Infestation in a Home
Carpenter ants may first be noticed as they wander through
your house in the early spring. Later in the summer you may see them moving
to and from your house as they gather food. You may also notice piles of
sawdust, insulation or other materials they dump out of their nest or you
might hear the rustling sounds they make inside walls, ceilings or floors.
Damage
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Carpenter Ant Damaged Wood. Note how they clean
the area. Sawdust is deposited out of the area as this is where they live.
They do not eat the wood.
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Carpenter
ants nest inside wood and can seriously damage it as they hollow out areas
in which to live. They may also live in and damage foam insulation, particle
board and other building materials. The all black carpenter ant can damage
sound wood but the red carpenter ant will only damage rotten wood and other
soft materials.
Damaged wood is rarely visible although small holes through
which sawdust is ejected can sometimes be seen.
Food
Carpenter ants eat a wide variety of things. A large part of
their diet is other insects and honeydew from aphids that they find on trees
and shrubs. They also will eat dead animals, sweet materials from plants,
humming bird nectar and many things they find in kitchens. Carpenter ants do
not eat wood.
Conditions Favouring
Carpenter Ant Infestation
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Things To Do So Carpenter Ants Will Not Like Your House |
We
have been able to identify several things which favour carpenter ant
infestations in homes. One of the most obvious is when a home is built in an
area with a lot of natural carpenter ant habitat: areas with a lot of
evergreen trees, stumps and logs.
Vines, tree branches, bushes and other vegetation growing on
or touching your house will make it very attractive to carpenter ants. So
will the presence of water leaks, improperly-stored firewood, and soil
touching the siding of your house.
Timetable of Carpenter Ant
Activity
Worker
ants, winged males and winged females may be seen inside. Worker ants are
often found in the kitchen.
April: Ants
begin to go outside for food. Outdoor nests become active.
May: Winged
males and females leave outdoor nests on mating flights
May, June, July, August: Ants
are active. Nests are expanded and sawdust ejected. Feeding pathways are
evident outdoors.
September, October: Ants
normally go dormant but may be seen during late warm summers.
November, December: Ants
are inactive and not seen.
Control
Effective Carpenter Ant control is basically a 2 step
program and requires a cooperated effort from us, for the safe and effective
application of pesticides and other control agents, and from you, for
management of environmental conditions on the property which favour the
presence of carpenter ants.
1. What We Do
a) Inspect
We look for carpenter ant nests (there may be more than one) by searching
for ants, nest debris and the "sawdust" the ants create. We listen
for the rustling noises ants make in their nests. We follow ants as they
collect food and carry it to their nests. Sometimes we use repellent sprays
to "flush" ants out of their hiding places. We search all
accessible parts of a building including living areas, attics, basements
crawl spaces, walls and roofs. Outdoors, we inspect trees, stumps, logs,
landscaping ties and fences.
b) Treat
All carpenter ant nests discovered are destroyed. This may involve drilling
small holes into infested wood and injecting appropriate insecticides into
the nest. It may involve opening nest areas, vacuuming up the ants and
applying appropriate insecticides, or we may even physically remove the
infested wood.
c) Barriers
Insecticidal barriers are applied to areas carpenter ants must travel in
their search for food. Residual insecticidal sprays are applied to
foundations. Dry insecticides are applied into wall voids. Sometimes
slippery Teflon(r) barriers are applied to foundations to force ants to
travel in treated areas.
d) Follow-up
Follow-up work is essential to good carpenter ant control. Each month
following our initial treatment (April through September) we check outdoor
areas for signs of ongoing carpenter ant activity. We search foundation
areas, fence lines, pathways and overhead wires for ants. High-risk areas
may be retreated with barrier insecticides. If ants are found, their trails
are treated with appropriate insecticides. Whenever necessary, additional
indoor work is scheduled.
2. What You Should Do
a) Correct Moisture Problems
Carpenter ants lay their eggs in damp wood. It is essential that roof leaks,
plumbing leaks, inadequate ventilation, wood-soil contacts and all other
sources of wood moisture be eliminated.
b) Remove Dead Wood
Carpenter ants frequently start their nests outdoors. Satellite colonies
then move indoors from outdoor nests. Landscape ties, stumps, logs and other
wood with a high risk of infestation should be removed from your property.
Firewood should moved away from buildings and stacked off the ground.
c) Remove Vegetation
Trees, vines and shrubs growing against the building and overhanging the
roof create an ideal carpenter ant habitat. Vegetation can also form
"bridges" for ants around insecticidal barriers used in their
control. Vegetation on or overhanging the building should be removed.
d) Water Carefully
Insecticides applied on foundations are an important part of carpenter ant
control. Please do not wash the insecticides away by allowing sprinklers to
wet the foundation.
e) Report Sightings
Carpenter ants are not always active during our inspections. It is a great
help to us if you keep us informed about where and what you see the ants
doing.
Click here
to find out how we control Carpenter Ants using an Integrated
Pest Management strategy.
To see some of the
application and control equipment and materials we
use to manage insect and bug pests click here.
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If
you need service for Carpenter Ant control,
call
us now. |
Thanks for visiting http://www.pestvictoria.com
PES Professional Ecological Services Ltd.
98-B Burnside Road West, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V9A 1B5
Phone: (250) 383-2445
Fax: (250) 383-6775
e-mail: services@pestvictoria.com
We provide
professional integrated pest management (IPM) services, a high-tech form of
pest control. We are called professional pest managers, not exterminators or
fumigators. We provide pest management, not extermination or fumigation.
Excluding pests before they cause a pest offence is a good example of IPM at
work.
If You Need Professional
Services from Your Pest Control and Pest Management Experts,
for pests in Greater Victoria, British Columbia (B.C. or BC), Canada
Contact
Us Now!
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Professional Ecological Services Ltd. February 2002
contact webmaster at: services@pestvictoria.com
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