Pittsburgh Carpenter Ant Control Exterminator
If there is a “King” of ants in this area then Carpenter Ants would be it. To those of you living with this royal pain in the butt, help is here! Carpenter Ants are one of the largest species of ants that can be found in the northern part of the United States. Their size can range anywhere from 3/8 of an inch all the way up to queens that are an inch long. Because of their ability to nest inside the structure or enter in from nesting sites outside (or both), Carpenter Ant control can be difficult and challenging.
Where did I get them? Carpenter ants can have several different nests per ant colony. The nests consist of two categories: Parent Colonies and Satellite Colonies. Parent colonies are found in a variety of places including moisture prone areas in homes, kitchen, bathroom, roof lines, window frames etc. Large old trees, stumps, logs and any other moist or rotting wood are also probable nesting sites outside. These nests must be moist in order to support the eggs that queens lay to produce new ants. These nests then spawn satellite nests that are much more likely to affect a structure’s integrity. Ants can enter through a countless number a ways including window and door frames, soffit and fascia, electrical wires and tree branches touching the home.
How do I know they are carpenter ants? Carpenter Ants are defined by a few basic differences. First, they have elbowed antennae that shoot out from their heads and make a sharp right turn at about the halfway point of the antennae. Second is the color, Carpenter Ants are either all black or have a combination of dark red and black. Finally, Carpenter Ants may leave “frass” or sawdust like material near their nests. This “frass” comes from the wood they have cleared out of their nests along with dead ant body parts and excrement.
How can I get rid of them? The first step in getting rid of any pest is having a professional make a determination on what kind of insect it is. This step will help us more accurately prepare a treatment plan and execute the appropriate Carpenter Ant Control techniques to deal with the issue. At Budget Pest Control, we take the time to do a thorough inspection of both the interior and exterior of the home to find where ant activity is. We then perform an exterior Carpenter Ant Control focusing not only on the prevention of more ants entering the structure but also treating areas that the ants may be nesting thus knocking down the population levels outside. The next step is where experience really comes into play. As Carpenter Ants can commonly nest inside also, a thorough, comprehensive service on the interior designed to eliminate any colonies or ant foragers is a necessary step in the control of these formidable insects.
So give Budget Pest Control a call 24/7 After a chat with one of our friendly, informative office personnel, you will be armed with information, an estimate for Carpenter Ant Control and if you wish…service 7 days a week!
Stats
Carpenter ants are the bigger, huskier members of the ant family. They’re, on average, about a ½ inch in size and range in color from black to several shades of deep brown-orange. Some may have wings with the ability to fly around your home, which is where people often confuse carpenter ants and termites. With carpenter ants, the shape of their antennae, which are bent at an angle and their very clearly defined shape, sporting a head, abdomen and thorax (or rear end) are certain indicators that can help identify a termite vs. a carpenter ant.
Did You Know?
- Carpenter ants spit out wood they travel through (along with their dismembered friends body parts and feces) into a mixture that people refer to as “frass”.
- Carpenter ants are actually one of the insect world’s bodyguards. They survive on a sticky sweet liquid that aphids produce, and to do so, they will actually protect established aphid feeding/living spaces to ensure they get their sweet, sweet bug juice.
Myths & Facts
- Carpenter ants will leave piles of sawdust in areas that they’re traveling through, mixed in with discarded ant parts, which is a definite sign that you’ve got carpenter ants and not termites.
- Areas of high moisture or dampness are prime locations to find possible carpenter ant activity. If you’ve recently experienced burst piping, roof damage, flooding or any other concentrated water damage, you may be at high risk for possible ant infestation. Other wet areas that they may be in include around showers, sinks and dishwashers, as well as in moist basements or old exterior wood fibers (like stumps or woodpiles).
Signs of An Infestation
Different ants have different signs that they have infested a structure.
Seeing ants in and around your home is a strong indicator that you have any kind of ant problem.
Frass or wood shavings around wooded areas of your home may be an indication of a carpenter ant problem.
Little mounds of dirt in the cracks of sidewalks or and kind of cement is a tell-tale sign of pavement ants.
