With the temperatures warming up it is time to prepare for spring and summer pests. Some of the most feared pests are termites and carpenter ants. Not because they are venomous or considered a health hazard, but for the thousands of dollars worth of damages that they can cause in a single home. Termites are far more common than carpenter ants when it comes to wood infesting pests. Additionally, when homeowners do see carpenter ants they often assume they are like other ants and are feeding on discarded food inside your home. Carpenter ants require immediate attention when they are discovered. To help prevent a carpenter ant infestation, A Five Star Termite & Pest Control will share how you can identify carpenters ant as well as basic signs of ant infestation.

Carpenter Ant Identification

Carpenter ants are hard to miss as they are one of the larger species of ants found in America. Carpenter ants can reach between ¼ to ½ inch in length. Carpenter ants are often all black or reddish in color with a few being reddish brown with a black abdomen. Carpenter ants are known for infesting wood where they cut massive galleries for their nest. Carpenter ants do not feed on the wood like termites. Carpenter ants feed on proteins and sweets and will invade homes in search of food. Carpenter ants often like to build their nests in damp wood. Often when homes become infested, it first starts in a bathroom after a leak, or outside in decks or other wooden structures that have gotten damp after rain. During the winter carpenter ants go dormant and become active again in spring and through fall. Come the spring, swarmers will come out. These are the reproductive colony members. After mating during the spring season the females will look for a place to start her own colony which is usually in a decaying or dead tree or damp wood. The females and male have wings that they discard after mating. The carpenter ant threat often begins in spring and by summer a fully developed colony can be infesting your home.

Signs of Carpenter Ants

Early signs of carpenter ants often begin in spring. You may see winged ants flying around your home and yard or even wings that have been shed off from the queens. It is important to keep an eye out for swarmers or discarded wings. They are often located near windows sills, vents, and baseboards. It may be a while before other signs may appear. Later, as the colony grows, they will begin cutting through wood features in in your home. They will often nest under wood floors, along and inside door and window frames, or in the walls while carving into the home’s framing. You can often find saw dust in small piles where they are cutting, often followed by a small hole. You can even hear the faint sound of the ants rustling inside the wall. Another sign is when wood sounds hollow if you tap on it. You can also push a knife or screw driver right through the wood where they are cutting.

Carpenter Ant Pest & Termite Inspections, Control & More in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas

While carpenter ants don’t feed on wood like termites they are equally destructive and must be controlled and treated if found in the home. If you begin to see signs of carpenter ants invading your home as the temperature begins to warm up, contact A Five Star Termite & Pest Control.