Call Now
866-949-6097
or fill out the form below.
Orkin Exterminator & Termite Control
For your convenience and immediate
attention, call 866-949-6097.
SCHEDULE SERVICE NOW
PEST REPORT
Home / Ants / Carpenter Ant
Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are large insects, ranging in size from 1/2-inch to one inch in length. They are most commonly black, but some carpenter ants exhibit both red and black coloration. They are common in many parts of the world.
Carpenter ants are active year-round and can be found both indoors and outside. It is also common for carpenter ants to have to have an outdoor nest, appearing indoors only to obtain water or food.
In nature, carpenter ants live in dead trees, rotting logs and tree stumps. They tend to build nests in deteriorating wood, but their colonies may extend to healthy wood, as well. In urban surroundings, carpenter ants will make their homes in telephone poles, house porch pillars and roofs, windowsills and wood that comes in contact with soil. Carpenter ants prefer to burrow into damp wood rather than dry wood.
Carpenter ants burrow to provide a nest for their colonies, and over a long period of time, their burrowing may compromise a structure. In controlling an infestation of carpenter ants, it is necessary to first find the nest. Once found, it can be removed or treated chemically. All moisture conditions that the ants found conducive must be corrected.
It is advisable to seek professional help in containing carpenter ant infestations, as incorrect procedures may allow the colony to "rebound" when surviving member resume their burrowing and foraging.
Carpenter Ant Identification: How to Identify a Carpenter Ant
What Does a Carpenter Ant Look Like?
© Orkin, Inc. 2009