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In the ant world, carpenter ants make one main nest and many, many satellite colonies. Their homes can be found in your attic, window sills, trees, and even on your bookcase. Just like us, when the carpenter ant’s home gets too small, they move or expand. Have you seen large ants in your home? These ants could be Carpenter Ant Scouts. A scout is sent out to forage for food. The scout will travel along telephone wires or branches or on the ground to get into your home. Killing the scouts will not kill the colony which is why calling an expert like Suburban Exterminating is important.
Many Carpenter Ant Nests
While the parent colony of a carpenter ant is usually outside, carpenter ants create satellite nests inside. The parent colony can be found outside in a tree, tree stump, rotting fence posts, and firewood. If a parent colony is found inside, the nest will be found near a water leak or other moisture source.
Satellite nests can be found in small voids in wood, foam insulation, and wall cavities. These nests are created when the carpenter ant colony needs more food, more territory, or a warmer spot for the developing ant’s larvae and pupae. (Carpenter ants’ life cycle includes eggs, larvae, pupae and adults.) The ant queen stays behind in the parent colony. Worker ants follow scent trails back and forth between the nests. These nests can be as far as 750 feet away from each other.
Carpenter ant colonies can grow to include anywhere from 3,000 to 50,000 workers after 3-6 years. If more than one queen exists, a carpenter ant colony can have up to 100,000 workers and begin new colonies.
Carpenter Ant Basics
Carpenter ants are very common on Long Island. These ants are large–a little over ½ inch. They can be black, red and black, red or brown. You can actually spot narrow worn paths from where they’re foraging.
These ants are most active at night. Worker ants hollow out a nest, look for food, and care for the young. You might be able to hear the ants making a rustling sound in your walls at night.
Carpenter ants have strong jaws to create their nests. The ants expel debris when creating their tunnels which consist of sawdust-like shavings, fragments of insulation, and insect body parts. This debris is a good indication of an active infestation.
If a carpenter ant bites you, it can be temporarily painful.
Hard to Get Rid of Carpenter Ant Nests
With many nests spread over a large distance, carpenter ants can be hard to get rid of. Suburban Exterminating professionals can help you to get rid of carpenter ants. Contact us today if you spot numerous ants around your home or business.