Behavior |
Carpenter ants feed on a wide variety of
foods, especially other insects. The favored food of adults is the sweet
honeydew produced by plant-feeding insects, such as aphids, scales, and
mealybugs.
In the spring, mature colonies produce winged reproductive ants, called swarmers, that fly out to start new colonies. These swarms often occur from satellite colonies within homes, so homeowners may see large flying ants in their homes at night. Carpenter ants can be very difficult
to control, so most homeowners employ the services of a professional
company such as Terminix. |
Habitat |
Carpenter ants are the most common pest
ant seen in homes throughout the northern United States. The main colony
must have a constant source of moisture to survive, so it is usually
located in dead wood outside.
This includes dead limbs, tree holes, stumps, landscape timbers, and so forth. Indoors, a main colony will have to be associated with a water leak or an overly wet, poorly ventilated crawl space or attic. The main colony may establish satellite colonies that are the primary source of ant activity inside homes.These satellite colonies may be located in any suitable void (e.g., hollow doors, curtain rods, shower rods), under attic insultation, etc.These ants set up trunk trails between the main colony to satellite colonies and between satellite colonies. Foraging ants can most easily be seen
along these trunk trails at night when the ants are most active.
Sometimes, the trunk trails occur beneath the ground following tree
roots. |
Tips for Control |
Successfully controlling carpenter ants
requires certain skills, knowledge and experience. Carpenter ant control
involves tracking down and treating as many satellite colonies as possible
inside and outside of the home as well as attempting to find and treat
the parent colony.
Accessing the parent colony may be difficult because it might be located high in a tree or on a neighboring property. In such cases, your service professional may use carpenter ant baits, but these may have varying results because of the carpenter ants' finicky feeding habits. If conditions on your property (such
as a large number of trees) create a high risk for reinfestation,
your service professional may recommend regular pest management services
to help prevent new infestations |
