Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are one of the many pests we take care of at Royal Pest & Termite, Inc. Discover how to identify an infestation and what you can do to fix it with us today.
What Do Carpenter Ants Look Like?
Because there are a few types of carpenter ants, they vary in appearance. Carpenter ants also have a hierarchy — known as being polymorphic — and various tiers look different. These ants are best distinguished from other species by their rounded thorax and heart-shaped head. They can be black, brown, red, yellow or a combination of those colors, and their size ranges from 3-13 millimeters.
Worker ants are smaller than the queen, and after a colony has matured, you’re likely to find both males and females with wings. At this point, the colony will also have oval-shaped, cream-colored eggs and legless larvae.
Signs of Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants can create significant damage in any woodwork in a home or business, affecting your space’s style and stability. That’s why it’s vital to combat the infestation as quickly as possible, and knowing the signs helps you make the call immediately. If you think you may be dealing with a carpenter ant colony, be on the lookout for indicators like:
- Seeing large black ants with wings, either flying around or walking in a trail in or around your property.
- Ant droppings with loosely compacted wood fibers
- Shed wings around your windows, baseboards and vents
- Piles of wood shavings (sawdust) around your wood fixtures
- Soft scratching or rustling sounds in your wood fixtures
How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants
Once you know you have a carpenter ant infestation, you have options for choosing how to deal with it. Some of the most common ways people self-treat their properties include:
- Pesticides: Insecticides that contain pyrethroids are an effective method of carpenter ant removal.
- Baits: Setting bait traps gives carpenter ants a poisonous food source they carry back to their colony, causing them to destroy themselves from the inside out.
- Natural solutions: Some potential nontoxic solutions include boric acid and diatomaceous earth, which you sprinkle or spray around the colony. Be sure to avoid any electrical sources if you choose this option.
How Royal Pest & Termite, Inc. Can Help You!
Of course, the easiest, most effective solution of all is to connect with Royal Pest & Termite, Inc. and let our experienced team lead the way. Carpenter ants thrive in the humidity of locales like Florida, so we’ve exterminated many colonies in our work. With every client, we create a personalized treatment plan that gets to every crevice in your home or business and reduces the chance of re-infestation.
Get Started With Pest Control Services Today
Royal Pest & Termite, Inc. pest control services cover carpenter ants, bed bugs and many other unwelcome creatures in your space. We treat every home and business as if it were our own and listen to your needs. We’ll treat both the inside and outside of your property to ensure the pests are eradicated, allowing you to feel comfortable in your space again.
Contact us today to request carpenter ant extermination. We know time is of the essence, so we’ll be on our way as soon as possible.