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Carpenter
Ants
Carpenter ants
are one pest that should be dealt with by a professional. Cain Pest
Control has extensive skills and experience with these ants assuring
you a full control in any type of structure.
IDENTIFICATION AND LIFE CYCLE
There are many species
of carpenter ants in Canada.
Most of them have these common characteristics:
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Three part body. (head,
thorax and abdomen)
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Colors: All
black, dark brown, dark red, or a combination of these
colors.
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Sizes: May have up to 5
different size ants in each nest. (10 to 20 mm.)
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Antenna has distinctive
elbow.
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Observed under a
magnifying glass, there is one "node" or spike between the
thorax and the abdomen.
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Circular ring of hairs
at tip of abdomen (gaster)
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No Stinger.
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Large mandibles for
chewing tunnels in wood.
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Thorax has smooth
rounded upper side.
Life Cycle and Habits
Carpenter Ants establish their initial nest in decayed wood,
but, once established, the ants extend their tunneling into
sound wood and can do considerable damage to a structure.
They commonly nest in standing trees (living or dead), in
stumps, or in logs on the forest floor. Since many houses
are being built in forested areas, well established,
vigorous colonies are readily available in the immediate
vicinity to attack these dwellings. This is especially true
when homes are built with a minimal removal of trees and
stumps near the structure.
The parent nest is often located in a
tree, stump, stacked wood within 100 meters of the house or
wood and stumps buried in the yard when the house was
constructed. Decorative wood landscape ties brought in to
enhance the beauty of a yard or driveway may also be the
location of a parent colony.
Satellite Nests
When the parent nest grows larger and needs room
to expand satellite colonies are established. These
satellite colonies often develop in nearby structures
presumably because they offer warm protection. Only the parent nest contains the queen(s), young larvae and
workers, while the satellite contains the mature larvae,
pupae, workers, and/or winged reproductives. Ants move back
and forth from parent nest to satellite nest but just a few
( less than 10 % ) will be visible outside the nest.
At times (usually late summer) workers can be seen moving
mature larvae (white and grub-like) or pupae (papery
cocoons) from one nest to another.
Food and Foraging
Ants are generally active along ant trails from April to
mid-October. These trails follow natural contours and lines
of least resistance and also frequently cut across lawns.
Traffic on these trails may be noticeable during the day,
but peak traffic occurs after sunset and continues
throughout the night. The natural food for these ants
consists of insects and other arthropods and sweet exudates
from aphids and insects. They are also attracted to other
sweet material such as decaying fruits.
Reproduction
The colony does not produce reproductives (winged males
and queens) until it is from 3 to 6 years old and contains
at least 2,000 workers. Reproductive carpenter ants ( winged
males and females ) leave the nest as early as January if
the nest is in a heated structure. Those living outside in
logs and stumps will not swarm until about early May. The
fertilized queens must then find wet wood to establish a new
nest, and the cycle starts over again. The new queen could
live 15 years or more and lay 70,000 fertilized eggs.
Carpenter Ant Control
Many pest management professionals consider carpenter
ants the most difficult pest to control. This opinion
is also expressed by many entomologists on government and
university web sites. The only total control solution
is to locate and eliminate all of the satellite nests in a
structure, and if possible the parent nest which is usually
outdoors. This requires considerable knowledge, skills and
experience. Spraying pesticides on carpenter ants visible
outside of the nests will have little or no effect on the
rest of the colony. (Only a few workers ever leave the
nests) It could result in the hidden nest splitting and
moving. Common ant poisons available to consumers have
no effect on carpenter ants. (They may work on some
other ant species). Home remedies such as borax and
sugar are likewise useless. The best solution is to
phone us, request an estimate and
consider the cost a worthwhile investment in the future
value of
your home.
Carpenter Ant Prevention
To prevent further carpenter ant
infestations, trim all trees and bushes so branches do not
touch the house. Eliminate other unnecessary vegetation
touching the structure. Correct moisture problems such as
leaky roofs, rain gutters and downspouts. Paint and/or seal
exposed wood construction before it becomes wet. Replace
previously ant- or termite-infested wood, rotted, or
water-damaged wooden parts of the structure and eliminate
wood/soil contacts. Remove dead stumps on the property and
store firewood off the ground and away from the structure.
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The bees, wasps, and ants are the only insects that are truly able
to "sting" people, and do so by the use of a modified ovipositor,
which is normally used for laying eggs. Together with the ants, the
bees and wasps are in the order Hymenoptera.
Often people will find they have some of these insects apparently
taking up residence in their homes or yards...and often react with
fear, although sometimes unnecessarily. Some bees and wasps are far
more aggressive than others. If you find you have bees or wasps in
your home, the first course of action is to determine exactly what
type of stinging insect you have. The most common bees and wasps are
as follows:
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Bumble bees
Bumble bees are not very aggressive, nest anywhere they can feel
protected, and are beneficial pollinators of both crops and
wildflowers. These bees live in small colonies of hundreds, and
can be quite gentle.
(note their fuzzy abdomen) |
Carpenter bees
Carpenter bees are very similar in appearance to bumble bees,
but have a smooth abdomen as opposed to the fuzzy abdomen of
bumble bees. These bees are solitary, and CANNOT sting. They
burrow into wood, and can be a pest in some wood homes. |
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Bald-faced hornet
These large wasps live in large nests made of mottled gray
paper, usually in trees. These wasps are quite aggressive and
put a whopper of a sting on you. Tread lightly around these
wasps. |
Paper wasps (Polistes spp.)
These wasps build smaller nests of paper usually on overhangs of
buildings. They are moderately aggressive, but the small
colonies are quite easy to handle. Catching these nests early
with only one or two wasps on it is best for controlling them. |
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Yellow jacket wasps
These are the nuisance wasps that crawl in your soda can and
bother you at picnics. They are fairly aggressive and will sting
without much provocation. They build nests underground or,
unfortunately, in structures such as your attic or walls. |
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For the most part, an encounter with one of these stinging insects,
especially if they are alone, will not result in a sting. Here, the
old axiom "leave them alone and they will leave you alone" holds
largely true. The bees listed above (bumble bees and honey bees) are
mostly gentle creatures who sting in defense of their homes. So
unless you stumble across a bee hive, you are highly unlikely to get
stung. Just let them go about their business. The same goes for the
paper wasps. The hornets and especially the yellow jackets can be
more persistent and aggressive...and yellow jackets are notorious
scavengers for our sweet human foods and drinks. Swatting at them
won't help. Keeping your food sealed and limiting their exposure
will.
An encounter with an entire colony of these insects can be more of a
problem. If you encounter a large nest of wasps, or a hive of bees,
walk away carefully and quietly. Once again, if you don't disturb
them, you will likely be fine. Should you trigger an attack, then
your best bet is to RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN away from the nest. Bees
and wasps in general have a defensive zone around their colonies,
and if you move out of it, you are likely to be safe. "Playing dead"
won't help...run away!
Finally, if you have a nest of these insects in your home or yard,
you may need to have them removed. But perhaps you can find a way to
live in peace. If not, we strongly recommend a professional
exterminator. Stings can be dangerous, especially if you are part of
the 1% or so of Americans who may be allergic. Contact your local
exterminator if you feel you must take action.
One last note on honey bee swarms. If you see a swarm of exposed
honey bees in your tree, but no permanent nest (honeycomb), you are
lucky enough to witness a wonderful part of the colony life cycle.
Swarming is how honey bee colonies reproduce. These bees are
searching for a new home, and are very often not defensive at all.
They will take a couple of days to find a new home, and then
disappear as suddenly as they arrived. If you see a swarm, you are
best off to just leave it alone and let them pass through...they
should be gone in a few days. Remember, swarms have no permanent
nest structures, just bees. If you see a nest you don't have honey
bees - you have wasps. If you see honey comb, the bees have settled
down in your tree (unlikely unless it is in a hole in the trunk).
You may consider having them removed if this is the case.
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Text courtesy of Dr. David Schulz, University of Illinois
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