Carpenter Ant Larva
Carpenter ants go through complete metamorphosis, passing through the egg, larval, pupal and adult stages.
When male and female winged reproductives leave a colony, they mate. Soon after mating, females shed their wings and males die. Each wingless female will now look for moist locations where she will lay her first batch of eggs and establish a new colony.
Three to six years are required to develop an active and stable colony. The development of an individual ant from eggs to adult takes approximately sixty days. While eggs take 24 days to develop, carpenter ant larvae need 20 days to step into the pupal stage, which lasts approximately 21 days. This development timeline is dependent on a steady temperature between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Colder weather can lengthen the process up to ten months.
The carpenter ant eggs hatch into larva and then become pupae, before they become adults. Carpenter ant larvae are small, white, legless and grub-like young, which resemble the larvae of flies. During this stage, adult workers forage for food for the carpenter ant larvae.
Carpenter ant larvae process the solid food given to them by workers and regurgitate it so that other ants can consume the liquid. Even at an early stage in their lives, carpenter ant larvae are necessary to the development and survival of their colonies. As long as a colony houses a queen, there will always be larvae developing within it.
Carpenter Ant Identification: How to Identify a Carpenter Ant
What Does a Carpenter Ant Look Like?
Schedule service now
Call Now 866-949-6097 or fill out the form below.
REGIONAL PEST REPORT
Southeast-spring season
Current Pest threat
Stay alert
Find an Orkin location by city, state