Carpenter ants are large ants indigenous to many forested parts of the world. They are among the largest ants found in the United States. Most of these ants are black in color, but some species may also have reddish or yellowish coloration. Carpenter ants can grow as long as three-fourths of an inch, depending on the type. Queen lays 9 to 16 eggs the first year and may live up to 25 years. Eggs complete their life cycle in about 6 to 12 weeks. The body of these carpenter ants has three distinct sections consisting of the head, thorax, and abdomen. The thorax and abdomen are visibly divided by a pinched waist, which helps distinguish carpenter ants from termites. They also have six legs and a pair of elbowed, or bent, antennae.
These ants are found everywhere, both outdoor as well as indoor, mostly in moist and hollow wood. They are capable of damaging any wood within which they nest. The ants further cut galleries into the wood grain to form their nests and provide passageways for movement from section to section of the nest. Galleries excavated from damp or damaged wood are mostly preferred by them to establish their colonies. Carpenter ants infestation can become severe when left untreated. These ants do not eat wood as termites do; instead, they remove the wood and deposit debris outside of their nests in small piles. Usually, the carpenter ants build two types of nests: parent colonies and satellite colonies. Parent colonies consist of a queen, her brood, and workers. Satellite colonies consist of workers, older larvae, and pupae. Workers create satellite colonies when the parent colony lacks sufficient space or when there is a suitable supply of food or water. There may be several satellite colonies associated with a parent colony.
The amount of damage caused by such nesting and infestations on a property varies. If a colony has been actively infesting a property for a long period of time, the structural damage can be very extensive. That’s why it’s crucial to have infestations treated as quickly as possible. One sign of carpenter ant damage is the appearance of small, circular galleries on the surface of the wood. The worker carpenter ants excavate sawdust-like debris around or below the exit holes. The area inside the galleries appears smooth and free of debris. This damage caused due to tunneling is huge.Also, the carpenter ants are usually drawn to moisture. Thus colonies of carpenter ants infiltrate homes and build nests in the wood near windows, doorframes, attics, chimneys, bathtubs, and any other area in the home with damaged or waterlogged wood. Carpenter ants often gravitate to homes with leaks that allow excess moisture to permeate the structure.
These pests do not eat wood but use it only for the purpose of building nests. Thus they are commonly attracted to human food sources, such as sweets, meats, and fats. Food items like sugar, honey, and syrup are highly attractive to carpenter ants. The insects are also drawn to grease spills and overripe fruit.
Let us look at some news articles pertaining to the damage caused by the carpenter ants.
Blog: Spring has sprung and so have the carpenter ants
March 21, 2017, Canada
Carpenter ants are plentiful in Delta, and are common pests in homes, sheds and other buildings. In spring carpenter ants are more active at night and by using a flashlight you can find the main nest outdoors. In structures, the presence of sawdust is a key clue in locating ant nests. The most common carpenter ants are the familiar large, black ants that are 4 mm or more in length and shiny black. If you find both small and large ants then there is likely more than one queen in the nest, if they are all the same size then there is only one queen. Carpenter ants chew through wet and rotting wood and can cause structural damage. They discard the wood, not using it as a food source like termites, and tunnel to create their satellites nests where eggs are stored in the hollowed frame. Damage can go unnoticed until the wood structural integrity has become compromised.
Carpenter ant damage results in increase in bridge repair costs
November 2016, USA
The cost to maintain and repair a bridge nearly doubled recently and experts say part of the problem is due to carpenter ants.
The bridge we’re talking about is the Scipio Road Bridge over Keshequa Creek in Livingston County. Leaders there say the repairs need to be done now or that cost could grow even more.
Kathy Link owns a furniture shop in Mt. Morris. Since she opened six years ago, she says they’ve been watching out for carpenter ants.
“They can eat it right up,” says Link. “They can make a mess — that’s what they do.”
And that’s exactly what carpenter ants did to a small portion of Scipio Road’s bridge. The projected cost to replace the deck skyrocketed from $442,000 to $643,000 after inspectors found severe bug damage in the first four feet on each end of the 100-foot wooden deck.
Carpenter ants on rise, causing problems in Windsor
July 7, 2014, Canada
Pest management companies in Canada say it’s likely that an unusually snowy winter has allowed a high number of carpenter ants to survive the winter.
They say the number of carpenter ants is on the rise in Windsor, Ont., and Halifax, N.S.
Steve Pelletier of Steve’s Pest Management says he has already responded to 220 calls for carpenter ants this year. He had 237 carpenter ants calls in all of 2013.
Windsor is not alone in its fight against carpenter ants. Residents in Halifax, N.S., have also noticed an increase in the number of carpenter ants.
Now, they’re out foraging for food and establishing new colonies.
“In the early spring or late fall, you’ll see large ants moving around in the house. They’re low on the feed so they start wandering and looking for food,” he said. “Most people complain when they actually see the ants.”
Stewart said 95 per cent of a colony stays in its main nest, but there could be 13 satellite nests in one location.
“You won’t see the damage until much later on,” Stewart said.
So is there an effective solution for this problem?
Yes, there is. Termirepel ™, an anti-insect additive, a C Tech Corporation product is an ideal solution for the prevention and control of carpenter ants infestation.
Our product works on the mechanism of repellency. It temporarily inhibits the mating cycle of the insects. The product impairs the ability of the insects to reproduce, that is the insects will not lay eggs or the laid eggs will be infertile. The product causes feeding disruption in an insect by triggering an unpleasant reaction within the insect which might try to feed on the application. The product temporarily blocks the reproduction system of the insects by hindering the release of the vital hormones for growth.
Termirepel™ is a non-toxic, non-hazardous and environment-friendly product, with a high efficacy to repel insects like carpenter ants from the wood. It is thermally stable and does not degrade on exposure to heat and sunlight. It does not kill or harm the insect but repels them. It is RoHS, RoHS2, REACH, ISO, APVMA, NEA compliant and FIFRA exempted.
Termirepel ™ in solution form can be injected at a high pressure in the lumber so as to prevent the infestation. It is also available in lacquer form which can be applied to the furniture, patios, floor, doorframes, windows, attics as a coating so as to prevent further infestation.
Contact us at technical.marketing@ctechcorporation.com to keep the pests away.
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