Carpenter ants and termites may look the same to the untrained eyes, but make no mistake: they are two separate insects, both capable of damaging your home. Both critters are small, oblong insects with wings. However, while Carpenter Ants and Termites boast somewhat similar physical characteristics, there are still important differences to know between the two.
In terms of how dangerous they both are, you should immediately take pest control measures if you discover either carpenter ants or termites. Termites have the insatiable ability to chew through wood, flooring, and wallpaper without being noticed. Due to this, Termites are often called “Silent Destroyers.”
Carpenter Ants infestation can also go unnoticed, However, unlike Termites, Carpenter Ants can take years to cause significant damage.
If you fear your have an infestation of either carpenter ants or termites, we have some tips and tricks to get rid of and prevent these critters from taking over your home.
Common Places to Find Carpenter Ant Damage
Carpenter ants are highly capable of damaging any sort of wood in which they nest. Their infestation can become serious when left unnoticed or untreated. In some situations, a colony of carpenter ants can develop satellite nests that can cause severe damage to your home. These ants rarely nest in dry wood.
An indoor carpenter ant infestations can be easily noticed by a handful entry points, including:
- Attic vents
- Cracks
- Foundations
- Pipes
- Electric wires
- Telephone lines
Carpenter Ants do not gain any nutritional value from wood; instead, they use their powerful mandibles to damage the wood and make nests. Their pincers can also give you a painful bite if you are not careful around these pests. These kinds of ants clean and polish their galleries of wood so that they seem to be smooth inside.
The potential damage caused by carpenter ants to a house or building totally depends upon a number of factors, the number of ants, and the size of nests that are present in one area. The longer the ant infestation remains untreated, the more serious the damage can result. We suggest locating carpenter ants and their nests as early as possible.
Where do Carpenter Ants Live in Your Home?
Carpenter ants generally prefer to nest in structural lumber like wall voids, windows, hollow doors, and foam panels. This provides a safe habitat for their queen. They primarily seek wood that has been softened by decay, moisture, or other insects. As a result, most of these ant nests are found in decaying wood in common areas like windows, chimneys, door frames, sinks, or bath traps.
When carpenter ants nest outdoors, they are usually found in hardwood trees that consist of holes and other imperfections. Whenever the carpenter ants nest in non-wooden areas, it means that they have found an alternate place that provides them steady temperature, protection from environmental conditions, and safety from natural enemies.
Indoors, carpenter ant nests might be located in wood suffering from decay or moisture damage. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they burrow through wood with the help of their mouthparts and excavate galleries for their nests.
Do Carpenter Ants Cause as Much Damage as Termites?
Both carpenter ants and termites typically cause more damage and more havoc among homeowners than the other members in the insect kingdom. If we compare the damage and destruction caused by carpenter ants and termites, then termites are far more destructive than carpenter ants in terms of cost. . The damage caused by termites can run into the billions each year in the United States alone. This damage is even more staggering when it comes to the destruction caused to crops or building structures, which amounts to nearly $30 billion.
On the other hand, Carpenter ants are no slouches, causing property damage that costs into the millions.
What Are the Differences Between Carpenter Ant and Termite Damage?
One of the significant differences between carpenter ants and termite damage is the way they create galleries and tunnels. Carpenter ants create galleries and tunnels that are smooth, neat, and have a finished appearance. On the other hand, the galleries and tunnels created by Termites have a rough and rugged feel and will be caked with mud. Sometimes, you may even see mud tubes created by Termites on the foundation or other walls.
Termites, being “Silent Destroyers,” have the ability to chew through wood, flooring, or wallpaper undetected. Similar to termites, carpenter ants infestations often go undetected until it is too late.
The overall damage caused by carpenter ants is not as severe as termites. As the number of individuals grows inside a gallery or colony, they continue to expand through the wood that causes more damage.
What Attracts Carpenter Ants into Your Home?
One of the common questions that you might have in your mind is “what attracts carpenter ants into your house”? Here are a handful of things to keep an eye on to try and prevent unwelcomed carpenter ants from visiting your home.
Moisture
Carpenter ants love moisture, and this indicates that moist and damp areas in your house attract them. If you have a leak in your home that is not adequately taken care of, then this is a huge attraction for them. Carpenter ants love to live in an area where condensation might collect, like windows and doorways. Bathrooms, kitchens, drains, pipes are also major attractions.
Debris Piles
Firewood left outdoors that has gotten wet is carpenter ant’s favorite. If you ever bring multiple pieces of firewood inside that harbor carpenter ants, this is another way to get them inside your house.
Food
Carpenter ants love sugar and protein. All that carpenter ants love is the pet food that is left lying around your house. They are extremely attracted to honeydew, which is a sweet liquid processed by aphids. Carpenter ants mostly forage for food at night and search for anything sweet, sticky, or meaty. In addition to this, garbage cans that are not perfectly sealed are also a great attraction.
Contact Clegg’s Pest Control
Even though carpenter ants do not cause as much damage as that of termites, it is still essential to get rid of them. Keeping your house free of carpenter ants and termites all year long require precise prevention of the things that usually attract them, as well as pest control from professionals. So, what are you waiting for? Take necessary measures and keep carpenter ants and termites away from your home. Contact Cleggs Pest Control today to schedule a visit from our experts to help you handle any carpenter ant and termite problems.
CLEGG’S PEST CONTROL CAN SOLVE YOUR ANT PROBLEM
If you have ever seen an ant in your house then you know that there is never just one. Ants live in large groups called colonies. Often times their nests are underground or inside trees, but sometimes ants move in and make their colony in the walls of a house or building. Inside of your home, ants can nest behind baseboards, moldings, countertops, inside walls, or even in your dishwasher. A single ant colony can live and reproduce for years with one queen, making them extremely hard to get rid of if they have set up residence in your home. Depending upon where the colony has made its nest, you may need to contact our team to control the infestation.
Surprisingly, what ants are attracted to actually changes throughout the year depending on where they are in their mating cycle. In the spring for example, when they are just beginning the mating and colonizing phase, they tend to be more attracted to high protein foods such as meat scraps left in the trash, peanut butter, other insects, or fats like grease, oil, and butter. As the summer continues, the new generation of ants requires more quick energy to grow and expand the nest so the ants will seek carbohydrates to eat for energy. This leads ants to be more attracted to sweets like crumbs and leftovers, spilled drinks, and garden produce.
No matter if the ants are entering your home in search of the food source they need, or if they have built up a residence in your walls, most people agree that getting them out is necessary. Contact our team to schedule your FREE initial inspection and get rid of ants in your home today.
TYPES OF ANTS
ODOROUS HOUSE ANTS
These ants have one node that is hidden by their abdomen and are dark brown to black in color. They are most often found in kitchens. When this ant is crushed it emits a coconut odor which signifies its name. Like the Argentine Ants, these ants may be found under mulch, along foundations, or underneath some form of debris. As with many ants, food sources will draw them out. If you have mulch or debris around the foundation of your home then you need to ensure that all cracks and crevices are sealed to prevent an inside invasion. Locating the nest is the surest way to eliminate the infestation but this is very difficult therefore bait is used on the ant trails which will lead the toxin back to the colony.
ACROBAT ANTS
These ants are yellowish brown to dark brown and are a little longer than 1/8 inch. Their abdomen is heart shaped and when disturbed they try to carry their abdomen above the rest of their body. If nesting outdoors they usually nest in decaying or dead wood. When foraging indoors they like wood or a damp wall cavity to nest in. A spray treatment should be performed in all areas these ants are found and drilling may be required to treat any wall voids that have become infested.
FIRE ANTS
Fire ants are red with 2 nodes and a stinger which sets them aside from most other ants. Fire ants are usually found outdoors versus indoors however when they do venture indoors it is usually along the edge of carpet. If you follow the trail back to the entry point then the mound is usually not far. We treat the mound(s) itself as well as the trail of ants.
How to Get Rid of Fire Ants: Read Article
Fire Ant Queen: Read Article
Fire Ant Mound: Read Article
CARPENTER ANTS
Carpenter ants have one node (circled) and an evenly rounded thorax. Carpenter vary is color and size but most are large and a blackish color. Parent colony lives in constant moisture. Satellite colonies are usually involved in infestations. Carpenter ants are most active at night, and the sound of a colony resembles that of wrinkling up cellophane. Colonies may exist in several areas including: wood, wall voids, hollow voids, under insulation, etc. Treatment usually involves the use of a dust and/or aerosol to flush out the existing colony.
Signs of Carpenter Ants: Read Article
Carpenter Ant vs Termite Damage: Read Article
Carpenter Ant Queen: Read Article
Carpenter Ant Bite: Read Article
What Do Carpenter Ants Eat: Read Article
FIELD ANTS
Field ants are black, brown, tan, reddish, or red and black in color. Field ants have 3 small eyes in the middle of their head (between their 2 compound eyes). Field ants are not usually found inside but rather around structures or under piles of wood, brick, or rocks. Once the colony is located, the mound itself is treated to eliminate the problem.
LITTLE BLACK ANTS
Black ants are tiny in size and are jet black in color. Little black ants occasionally invade homes but are usually found in the soil or nesting in the masonry or woodwork of a structure. Treating the colony itself is the best way to eliminate this ant. Indoor treatments may include the use of dust to treat wall voids.
How to Get Rid of Tiny Black Ants: Read Article
PAVEMENT ANTS
Pavement ants also have 2 nodes and are usually found in one of 3 places: 1) Outside along the foundation 2) Beneath slab foundation 3) Inside hollow foundation walls. Pavement ants may also be found trailing along the edge of carpets. Displaced soil indicates colony locations. They are a small brown to black ant with pale legs; their abdomen is black. Treatment is most successful when the colony itself is located and then treated. Depending on colony site, drilling may be required in order to apply the appropriate chemical.
PHARAOH ANTS
Pharaoh ants have 2 nodes (circled left) and are usually found traveling wires, the plumbing in walls, or inside wall outlet boxes. Baiting is the only effective treatment method for pharaoh ants. Pharaoh ants are known to have many colonies therefore all ant trails need to be baited. They are very small ants, usually light yellow to red in color with black markings on their abdomen.
CITRONELLA ANTS
Citronella Antsare usually light yellow to light reddish brown with small eyes and they have a citronella odor when crushed. Nest sites usually include open pastures, gardens, lawns, or around a home’s foundation. They may also be found underneath a concrete slab or inside of or underneath a timber that has become rotten. There are 2 species: the worker and the swarmer. The swarmers are almost twice the size of the workers and have smoke colored wings. Once colony is located the mound itself is treated to eliminate the problem.
ARGENTINE ANTS
Argentine Ants are a one node ant and that one node is sharply peaked. They are usually dull brown in color and when they are crushed a musty odor usually follows. Argentine ants are usually found outside under mulch, foundation slabs, or inside of a tree or shrub. We check all items that come in contact with the soil and treat all mounds that are located. On some occasions drilling may be required in order to treat a void that a colony may be inhabiting.
GHOST ANTS
Ghost Ants are a one node ant, very small in size, and pale in color. A rotten odor is emitted when ghost ants are crushed. Eliminating harborage sites around the foundation of a structure will help reduce the chance for an infestation of ghost ants. Ghost ants also travel inside along carpet edges, moldings, windowsills, electrical outlets, and any area near a water source. Finding the nest site by following the trail is the key to eliminating the infestation.
CRAZY ANTS
Crazy Ants are a one node ant, relatively small in size. They have extraordinarily long legs and are dark brown to blackish in color. Crazy ants are most easily identified by their zig-zag like movement. The crazy ant adapts very well to its environment whether it is a dry or wet habitat. We check all items that come in contact with the soil and treat all mounds that are located. On some occasions drilling may be required in order to treat a void that a colony may be inhabiting.
WHITE FOOTED ANTS
White Footed Ants have a hidden node. Its body color is darker than that of the odorous house ant and the end of their legs are a yellowish white color. These ants like to nest in soil, in old trees, and various other damp locations that have may provided a good nesting site. Their 2 preferred sources of food are dead insects and food with lots of sugar. Once the colony has been located the mound needs to be treated in addition to a perimeter spray performed around the infested site.
BIG HEADED ANTS
Big Headed Ants are a dimorphic species which means the worker ants vary in size. These ants are small in size and are yellowish or light to dark brown in color. The major worker has a large head for its body size whereas the minor worker’s head is more proportionate to its body size. These ants will nest in open areas but are usually found in the soil beneath a protective covering such as firewood or landscape timbers. Individual mounds should be drenched to eliminate the colony. Bait is effective for indoor treatments.
THIEF ANTS
Thief ants have 2 nodes, very small eyes, and is yellow to light brown in color. These ants normally nest outside in the soil underneath rocks. If these ants move inside they usually nest in wall voids or behind baseboards. Nests are hard to locate because they will travel long distances for food. These ants eat almost anything but prefer meats, fats, and grease. Ant bait is the most effective control method to use for thief ants.
