How Destructive Are Ants?

What are carpenter ants?

Carpenter Ants (scientific name: Componotus spp.) are large ants that vary in colour from black to dark brown to brownish orange. They are characterised by a glossy, evenly rounded thorax with one unique node on pedicel. Their mandibles comprise 5-8 teeth.

Being polymorphic, a colony can have worker ants in varying sizes. Their nest is generally located in moist wood, including the bark of a rotting tree, decaying wood because they thrive in moist and humid environment.

Despite what their name implies, Carpenter Ants don’t feed on wood. It was named because of its habit of boring into wood when building their colony.

They love sugary foods like honeydew and the saccharine secretion of aphids and other insects. Carpenter Ants will also congregate on dead bugs to harvest their fluids and body parts for food.

Once Carpenter Ants invade, they become pervasive as they like to nest in satellites. This means that even if you discover an active colony, it will not be the only one in the vicinity.

How to get rid of carpenter ants?

Carpenter Ants have a habit of chewing and expelling wood in order to make a path as they search for the perfect location for their nest. Thus, if you see random mounds of wood shavings, or frass, in certain places around your home, that indicates the presence of Carpenter Ants.

Moisture is essential for them. If there is a leaky area in your house, it can serve as a beacon for Carpenter Ants. It’s not only moisture that attracts Carpenter Ants. They can even use any crack or small hole to gain access into your home. It doesn’t matter if it’s high above the ground as they can use any branch, pipes or wires to climb.

Knowing their habits will give you an idea on how to keep them away or to get rid of them, if they manage to get inside your home.

Find their nest with bait. Pest specialists suggest using bait that the ants will transport back to their nest. Use the bait to find where their colony is located. For bait, use jam, jelly or anything sweet and add baking soda. The latter is a natural pest killer.

Get rid of scent trails. Carpenter Ants search for food and travel using pheromone trails. Wipe surfaces where ants have travelled with essential oils to destroy this trail. This will prevent other ants from finding the food source or returning to their nest.

Tear down their nest. When you have discovered their nest, which is usually within walls, destroy it. Puncture holes around the area where you suspect where the nest is and blast boric acid through the holes. It may take a few blasts before the nest is destroyed.