Carpenter Ants

Item: Pointe Pest Control
Rating: 5
Author: insiteadvice

Live Carpenter Ant-Free with Pointe!

Pointe Pest Control is committed to keeping your home pest-free in every season. Our team of experienced and state-certified technicians are dedicated to providing safe and effective pest control services for the Western Illinois and Eastern Missouri areas. If a pest problem is not completely resolved after a visit, our technicians will return until it is eliminated.

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The Case of Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants have all of the basic attributes of common ant species, but they are completely distinct in their life’s purpose. These ants live in the traditional ant colonies, where a queen is the sole reproducer and the workers are responsible for gathering food and expanding the nest. They have various color patterns that differ with the species, but the most common carpenter ants are black, red, or brown.

It can be difficult to assess if carpenter ants are actually in the home, as they usually only emerge to forage for food. But the scavengers are definitely noticeable due to the fact that they are some of the largest ants, averaging about half of an inch long. Carpenter ants are drawn to most types of wood and favor anything with moisture damage. Considering the amount of damage that a full colony can do to a home, it is best to call Pointe Pest Control as soon as you believe you may have a carpenter ant problem.

Knock On Wood

The types of wood that are most frequently invaded by carpenter ants are already damaged in some way. The workers have large, sharp mandibles, but even they have their limits in the wood they can cut. They prefer wood that is already decaying, dead, hollow, damp, or rotten. Basically, any type of wood that is weakened and unhealthy is perfect for a colony of hardworking carpenter ants.Since carpenter ants have such an affinity for naturally decaying wood, it seems strange that they often invade houses. But houses have additional advantages that a damaged tree does not: namely, more shelter and food sources. The ants gnaw through the wood to create their galleries, but the extra protection from the insulation and walls of a home give the ants even more shelter from potential threats. Plus, the proximity to the sugar and protein they crave is just another temptation for the ants to invade a house. If the idea of yet another ant species potentially invading your home is overwhelming, Pointe Pest Control is here to help you.

A Carpenter Ant’s Cravings

Since carpenter ants do not eat the wood they are gnawing through, it is up to the foragers to leave the nest and gather food for the colony. Like most ant species, carpenter ants are mainly attracted to foods that are sugary or high in protein. These pests are constantly working and moving, so they need foods that will give them the energy to complete their tasks. Their favorites include meats, syrup, pet food, honey, and other sticky substances.

If they are searching for their food outdoors, carpenter ants look to other insects for help. The ants will eat honeydew from aphids, as well as any living or dead insects they find. No matter what the ants eat, they need to ensure that they can bring enough back to the nest to feed everyone. The nurse ants feed the young within the nest, and the queen’s attendants keep up her strength by feeding her enough. Queen carpenter ants lay about 20 eggs at a time, which will hatch 3 weeks later. And because the queen lives for at least 20 years, she can produce over 70,000 eggs total. No one wants a colony of carpenter ants stealing food for years on end, which is why Pointe Pest Control takes care to treat any ant nest completely.

Eliminate Carpenter Ants Today!

Inspect and Test

First, we inspect the affected areas to find the source of the ants and their preferred food source.

Prevent Carpenter Ants

We will use our findings to inform the specific locations of the baits and treatments.

Ant-Free Guarantee

We will make multiple return visits to refill baits and inspect for remaining ants. We guarantee lasting results.

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“Are Termites The Same As Carpenter Ants?”

Carpenter Ants

3/8 to 1/2 of an inch long
Different colors (black, brown,
red)
Narrow waist
Bent antennae
Eat protein and sweets
Colony has 10,000 to
20,000 ants
Venture outside to forage
for food

Termites

1/8 to 1/2 of an inch long
Light brown coloring
Broad waist
Straight antennae
Eat wood and cellulose-based materials
Colony has 50,000 to 1 million termites
Stay within wood and avoid the light

Prevent, Detect, Protect

Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to prevent carpenter ants from gnawing through a house, as well as easy methods to detect an invasion. The number one attractor of carpenter ants is moist or damaged wood, so inspect your home often for any wood damage. This is more common after an abundance of rain or a stormy winter. Make sure to have any leaks repaired immediately, and seal any cracks or gaps in the exterior. By protecting the house against outside elements, you are also keeping invasive pests out.

Detecting carpenter ants is typically easier than finding termites, since ants will leave their nests to forage. In fact, one of the most obvious infestation signs is seeing ants enter and exit a specific section of wood. Also, carpenter ants leave a mess behind when they are tunneling into wood. There are usually wood shavings, ant parts, sawdust, and ant droppings piled around the base of the wood containing their nests. Finally, everything about the wood itself is a clue to the presence of carpenter ants. There will be small holes in the wood, and it is possible to hear ants rustling inside as they work. The more ants in the colony, the louder the scratching will become.

Pointe Pest Controls Carpenter Ants

Due to the strange nature of carpenter ant nests, our team of dedicated technicians begin each visit with a complete inspection of the property. We know the signs of carpenter ants, and will therefore craft a personalized treatment plan to work with your home and the actual carpenter ants. The typical treatments we use for carpenter ants are more similar to our ant services than termite services, since the basic qualities of ants remain the same across the different species.

We use a non-repelling treatment on the perimeter of the home so that the ants leaving the home will be doubly treated as they walk across it. We also use bait with contents that we predetermine by testing whether these ants crave sweets or protein. Once the baits are placed in hidden areas right next to foraging trails, we will clean any nearby competing food sources. Finally, we spray our treatments near entry points and the cracks that carpenter ants can slip through. One factor to remember, and one that we will personally discuss with you, is that ant bait takes a few weeks to be completely effective. Activity will spike initially as the ants find the bait, but they will gradually become less active as the days go on. For the most thorough carpenter ant services in Missouri, call Pointe Pest Control today!

I Highly Recommend

Had carpenter ants all over my master bath. I tried my best to get rid of them myself, but it wasn’t working. Pointe was able to find the source and now they’re gone. It took about 2 months, but from what I understand, this is normal. Haven’t seen an ant in my house for about 15 months now. I highly recommend Pointe. Cheaper than the bigger names and just as effective.

Bill Windt

Arlington Heights

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Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ants

Live Carpenter Ant-Free with Pointe!

FREE PEST CONTROL QUOTE

The Case of Carpenter Ants

Knock On Wood

A Carpenter Ant’s Cravings

Eliminate Carpenter Ants Today!

Inspect and Test

Prevent Carpenter Ants

Ant-Free Guarantee

“Are Termites The Same As Carpenter Ants?”

Prevent, Detect, Protect

Pointe Pest Controls Carpenter Ants

I Highly Recommend

Free Pest Control Quote

Contact Us Form

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customer care

Email Us

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services

customer care

Email Us

Get Directions