What do carpenter ants look like?
Adult carpenter ants grow to between 5/8th and ½ of an inch in length; the queens are larger and can grow up to 1 inch in length. Carpenter ants are black, red, yellowish in color, or they can be a combination of colors. Carpenter ants aren’t equipped with tiny tool belts, but they do have strong mandibles that they use to tunnel through wood with. These ants have a unique 1 node waist and a thorax with an evenly rounded upper surface.
Are carpenter ants dangerous?
Carpenter ants aren’t dangerous to people, but they are dangerous to the structures of homes and other buildings. Carpenter ants invade properties while foraging for food and shelter. Once inside they can move behind the walls or underneath of floors and create tunnels and nesting areas within the structural wood of the property. The tunnels and nesting areas that they make can eventually weaken the structural integrity of a home or other building.
Why do I have a carpenter ant problem?
Carpenter ants typically nest outside but are attracted to properties that offer them easy access to food, water, and shelter. Carpenter ants make their way inside of homes through spaces found around windows and doors, through openings found in eaves, and through the spaces found around utility entrances. Inside of homes they forage for crumbs found in kitchen and pantry areas, and water found in bathroom and basement areas. Once inside they may stay and infest wood (preferring water damaged wood) to create a new satellite colony.
Can I control carpenter ants?
To completely get rid of a carpenter ant infestation, and prevent a re-infestation it is important to find and treat all the ants and all of the nesting sites. The best way to get rid of carpenter ants from your property is to contact a pest control professional that has the know-how to totally eliminate them from your home and property. The experienced pest control professionals at Arrow Pest Control have the training and services needed to quickly eliminate all damaging carpenter ants from your property. If carpenter ants have decided to invade your New Jersey property or home, contact the dedicated pest professionals at Arrow Pest Control today!
How do I make my property less attractive to carpenter ants?
There are several things that you can do to help prevent and deter carpenter ants from choosing your property to live on or in.
- Inspect your home’s gutters to ensure that they are working properly to direct water away from your home.
- Fix leaky outdoor and indoor fixtures.
- Replace any water damaged wood that in found inside of your home.
- Use de-humidifiers in basement areas to help reduce the moisture levels in your home.
- Place piles of fire-wood a distance away from the outside of your home.
- Make sure that garbage is stored outside in containers with tight fitting lids until trash pick-up day.
- Seal cracks and crevices found in the exterior of your home.
- Trim back trees, bushes, and other landscaping from the exterior of your home- carpenter ants can use their branches as a bridge to gain access to your home.
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