Bug Identification Database

Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are large (10 mm or more) black or brown ants, (reddish-brown in Florida), often found in wooded areas. However, they are known to enter homes also, especially in the spring. These ants are most often seen one at a time, and they are by far the largest ants seen on the property. In the spring, you may find large numbers of flying ants. These are the reproductive members of the colony. They indicate the presence of a mature colony nearby, and this is cause for concern. This colony must be found and destroyed immediately because carpenter ants are capable of doing severe structural damage if left untreated. The good news is that can do your own carpenter ant control at a fraction of the cost of professional treatment to take care of this dangerous and costly pest!

To find the carpenter ant colony look for the following signs:

Sawdust - Wood shavings, dead ants and old ant cocoons are often piled up outside of the nest.

Windows - Small slit-like openings that carpenter ants cut into damaged wood.

Swarmers - A lot of large, winged flying ants, usually but not always found in the spring. The nest will be found nearby.

Workers - Solitary ants wandering aimlessly, most active at night.

Clicking - If you get close enough, you can actually hear the colony chewing through wood inside your walls.

Water Damage - When you find the leak, the carpenter ants are usually there also.

For immediate destruction of the Carpenter Ant colony, Call American Pest Control Management Inc.