Carpenter ants are fairly huge ants that can grow up to 2.5 centimeters and are indigenous to many places in the world. Species of carpenter ants dwell both inside houses and outside in moist decaying wood or in hollow wood.
Carpenter ants are known to form paths which are cut into the wood grain and enable travel of the ants from one section to another section of the nest. They infest your home and backyard, and getting rid of these ants is a constant problem.
Do carpenter ants bite?
Generally carpenter ants do not bite but when their nests are trampled upon and destroyed, they bite for self defense. The bite can break into the skin and can be really painful because carpenter ants spray formic acid which intensifies the pain.
Habitat
Carpenter ants most likely dwell in house areas such as around and under windows, decks and porches, roof eaves since these sections of the house are susceptible to moisture. Outdoor carpenter ants dwell in moist rotting trees, tree stumps, tree roots and even in logs lying on or buried in the ground. The nests of indoor carpenter ants may be found in bathroom tiles, sinks, around tubs, in attic beams, under the subfloor insulation, hollow areas of curtain rods, doors and in wall voids. Carpenter ants can also be found in foam insulation.
Behavior
Carpenter ants are known to destroy wood used as a building framework and leave behind wood material sawdust known as frass which provides clues for the whereabouts of the ants leading their nesting area. Carpenter movement paths are considered to be smooth and are dissimilar from termite affected areas.
Carpenter ants known as workers are black or red in color and reaches up to a length of half an inch or about 2 centimeters. However, some workers in a different area may not be larger than 3/16 of an inch. All workers infest the homes and also buildings. Other kinds of carpenter ants are queens and males or winged males. Queen ants may grow up to an inch. Workers may be classified as major worker and as a minor worker.
Diet
Carpenter ants are known to eat on sources of protein and sugar. Those that live in the outdoors eat living and dead insects. Carpenter ants also love honeydew which is identified as a sweet liquid secreted by scale insects and aphids. Indoor carpenter ants also eat meat, sugar, jelly, syrup, honey and other sweet items. Although carpenter ants are known to dwell in wood materials, they don’t eat the wood but merely cut through these materials.
Getting rid of carpenter ants
Eliminating carpenter ants means transforming high moisture conditions of an area since this kind of environment are important in their propagation.
Moisture damaged wood in your homes should be replaced with new ones to eliminate this kind of ants. Wood stored in the garage or around the house should be kept dry or should be arranged in an elevated area where air is allowed to circulate.
Surrounding areas of your house should always be cleared of shrub stumps, roots, rotten tree branches and even of firewood to prevent the breeding of carpenter ants.