Carpenter Ants, Camponotus sp.
Symptoms: Carpenter ants very rarely cause
structural damage to buildings. Although most
carpenter ant damage is cosmetic, the ants are
nevertheless considered serious pests by
homeowners and business owners. Under
natural conditions, carpenter ants nest in live
and dead trees and in rotting logs and stumps.
However, they will also construct their nests in
houses, telephone poles, and other man-made
wooden structures. Nests are begun in
deteriorating wood which has been exposed to
moisture. Often, the colony will extend its nest to
adjacent, sound wood. Nests are commonly
found in porch pillars and roofs, window sills,
and wood in contact with soil.
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Life Cycle: The colonies of carpenter ants are
often long lived. Each colony is founded by a
single fertilized queen. She establishes a
nesting site in a cavity in wood. She then rears
her first brood of workers, feeding them salivary
secretions. She does not leave the nest nor feed
herself throughout this period. The workers
which are reared first assume the task of
gathering food with which to feed the younger
larvae. As the food supply becomes more
constant, the colony population grows very
rapidly. A colony does not reach maturity and
become capable of producing young queens
and males until it contains 2,000 or more
workers. It may take a colony from three to six
years or more to reach this stage. Each year
thereafter, the colony will continue to produce
winged queens and males, which leave their
nest and conduct mating flights from May
through July.
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Description: Large - from 1/4 inch (6.4mm) for a
worker up to 3/4 inch (19.1mm) for a queen,
black, or sometimes red and black. Carpenter
ants are active indoors during many months of
the year, usually during the spring and summer.
When ants are active in the house during late
winter/early spring (February/March), the
infestation (nest) is probably within the
household. When carpenter ants are first seen
in the spring and summer (May/June), then the
nest is likely outdoors and the ants are simply
coming in for food. The natural food of the ants
consists of honeydew from aphids, other
insects, and plant juices, but they will readily
forage for water and food scraps within the
house.
A.N.T.T.S
Carpenter Ants
817-366-3130
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For Carpenter ant identification call 817-366-3130

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