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This page is about fighting carpenter ants, fire ants & termites.
lYou are at: http://www.NelsonIdeas.com/fighting-carpenter-ants/fire-ants-termites.html ud 10/20/2005 06:59 PM -0500
INTRODUCTION. The black carpenter ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus (DeGreer), is a native species and the common species in the east. Camponotus modoc Wheeler is the common western species. These ants get their common name from their habit of hollowing out galleries in pieces of wood for nesting purposes. This nesting habit can result in structural damage. Carpenter ants are found throughout the United States. RECOGNITION. Workers polymorphic, large (1/8-1/2" or 3.5-13 mm) but vary greatly in size; queens about 112-518" (13-17 mm) long. Color black, combinations of red and black, or completely red or brown. Antenna 12-segmented, without a club. Thorax lacks spines, profile evenly rounded on upper side. Peel 1-segmented. Gassier with anal opening round, surrounded by circlet of hairs. Stinger absent. Workers capable of emitting a strong formic acid odor. Camponotus pennsylvanicus with workers about 1/4-1/2" (6-13 mm) long and completely black except top of gaster with long, pale yellowish hairs pressed against its surface. Camponotus modoc with workers about 1/4-1/2" (5-11 mm) long, dull black with reddish legs and with golden hairs covering abdomen. Queens up to 5/8+" (17+ mm) long. Other species black, various combinations of red and black, or completely red or brown. Although carpenter ants do not sting, their bites can be quite painful, especially when they inject formic acid into the wound. SIMILAR GROUPS. (1) Dark field (Formica spp.), larger yellow (Acanthomyops interjectus), and Allegheny mound (F. exsectoides) ants have profile of thorax not evenly rounded, with distinct impression(s); in addition dark field ants with front and hind margins of node steeply or equally sloped. (2) Velvety tree ants (Liometopum spp.) lack circular anal opening surrounded by circlet of hairs. (3) Other medium to large dark ants with 2-segmented pedicel. DAMAGE. The only external indication of infestation other than the presence of workers and/or swarmers is the appearance of small openings or windows on the surface of the wood. Through these, the workers expel debris which consists of sawdust-like shavings and/or fragments of insulation and insect body parts. The accumulation of such debris below such holes is a good indication of an infestation. Inside, the galleries follow the softer spring wood with numerous connections through the harder/dark summer wood. The gallery walls are smooth, with a sand-papered appearance. The active galleries are kept clean of debris. They prefer to attack wood softened by fungus and are often associated with moisture problems. BIOLOGY. Black carpenter ant colonies are of moderate size, usually containing over 3,000 workers (up to 10-15,000 including satellite nests) when maturity is reached in about 3 to 6 years. The typical western carpenter ant (C. modoc) mature colony contains about 10-20,000 workers, with large colonies having up to 100,000 workers. Developmental time (egg to adult) for workers takes at least 60 days. Workers are polymorphic, with majors, minors and intermediates present. There is usually only one functional, wingless queen per colony. Swarmers are not produced until the colony is more than 2 years old, usually 3.5-4 years old for C. pennsylvanicus and often 6-10 years old for C. modoc. Swarmers appear from May until August in the east and from February through June in the west. HABITS. Most carpenter ant species establish their first nest in decayed wood and later expand or enlarge this into sound wood. Inside, nests are located in wood (preferably softened by fungus rot), in insulation, and/or in wall voids. Workers are a nuisance when out searching for food but are destructive to timbers utilized for nesting activities. Outside, nests are typically located in rotting fence posts, stumps, old firewood, dead portions of standing trees, and under stones or fallen logs. The presence of a carpenter ant nest is sometimes indicated by a rustling sound coming from wall voids or from wood where the colony is located. Otherwise, the emergence of swarmers indoors may be the first indication of an indoor colony. Carpenter ants feed primarily on insect honeydew, plant and fruit juices, insects, and other arthropods. Inside, they will also feed on sweets, eggs, meats, cakes, and grease. The workers forage for distances of up to 300 feet (91.4m) from the nest. They typically enter buildings around door and window frames, eaves, plumbing and utility lines, and shrub and tree branches in contact with the building. Although some workers are active during the day, most activity is from dusk till dawn, with peak activity between 10 pm and 2 am. The trail between the parent and satellite nest is usually about 1/4-13/16" (6-20 mm) wide and is kept clear of vegetation and debris. It usually follows contours but typically will cut across lawns. CONTROL. The first step is to determine if the ants present are merely foraging inside or if there is a nest inside. The best indication of a nest is the presence of sawdust piles containing insect body parts. Another indication is the sound produced as the workers remove wood to expand the nest. Outside, check around the building's perimeter for foraging trails, especially in the direction of trees and shrubs; easiest to locate between sunset and sunrise when the ants are most active. The second step is to locate any inside nests. Look for sawdust piles with insect body parts. Listen for ant sounds mentioned above; listening devices are helpful. Gently tap with a screwdriver, etc. all exposed wood such as floor joists, sill plates, roof rafters, etc. and listen for sound changes; nest cavities give a hollow or dull ring. Check suspicious areas with a knife blade which will readily penetrate infested wood. Be sure to check crawl spaces, basements, and attics. Carpenter ants have a network of trails they follow throughout a structure and often use the tops of electrical Wires and water pipes, so be sure to check where these are. A moisture meter can be helpful in locating areas of higher moisture in which the ants prefer to locate their initial nests. The third step is to determine if the inside colony is a parent or satellite colony. Inspect and search. Detection of a trail directs one to the parent colony. For effective control, it is imperative to locate and eliminate the parent colony. Once the colony or colonies are located, they should be treated directly with an appropriately labeled pesticide. Inside, this may involve drilling wall voids and applying dust and/or drilling wood members and pressure injection. Barrier treatment is effective in preventing entry, with wettable powder and microencapsulated formulations working best. All branches of trees and shrubs in contact with the building must be trimmed back. Be sure to check where electrical and water lines enter the building and caulk any gaps. Sometimes treating the bottom 3-6 feet (1-2 m) of tree trunks and/or utility poles is helpful. More information go to: http://www.pestcontrol-products.com/ant_facts.htm#black |
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6-16-05 TENT NOTES: Our tents are modular. After your have finished using the tent for the first time You can re-cycle the steel connectors very easily into another product. For long term set ups I would highly recommend the use a Dome Tent instead of a Gable Roof Tent. It is better with high winds, water ponding and clear span space. Remember that our tents do not include the 10 ft. long EMT straight pipe which you purchase in your city from a home convenience center. It will cost about as much as the rest of the party tent kit that you buy from me. I have seen a price reduction on the west coast for pipe. Make a few phone calls to get the best price. Be sure they have aas much as you need. You may have to go to several locations if you are buying a big tent. Brian 713-467-3025 Click here to e-mail me with any questions. |
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Try this for Carpenter Ants.
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CARPENTER ANTSby Mike Potter, Extension EntomologistUniversity of Kentucky College of Agriculture "I keep seeing big, black ants in my house, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. I spray the ones I see, but they keep coming back. What kind of ants are these, where do they come from, and how do I get rid of them?"
Biology and HabitsCarpenter ants, vary in size and color but are usually large (1/4-1/2 inch) and blackish. Occasionally, swarms of winged carpenter ant reproductives will emerge inside a home. Carpenter ant swarms usually occur in the spring and are a sure sign that a colony is nesting somewhere inside the structure.
Besides being objectionable by their presence, carpenter ants damage wood by hollowing it out for nesting. They excavate galleries in wood which have a smooth, sandpapered appearance. Wood which has been damaged by carpenter ants contains no mud-like material, as is the case with termites. Shredded fragments of wood, similar in appearance to coarse sawdust, are ejected from the galleries through preexisting cracks or slits made by the ants. When such accumulations are found (typically containing dead ants and bits of insects which the carpenter ants have eaten), it's a good indication that a carpenter ant nest is nearby. Oftentimes, however, the excavated sawdust remains hidden behind a wall or in some other concealed area. Carpenter ants nest in both moist and dry wood, but prefer wood which is moist. Consequently, the nests are more likely to be found in wood dampened by water leaks, such as around sinks, bathtubs, poorly sealed windows/ door frames, roof leaks and poorly flashed chimneys. Nests are especially common in moist, hollow spaces such as the wall void behind a dishwasher, or in a hollow porch column. Since there often will be no external signs of damage, probing the wood with a screwdriver helps reveal the excavated galleries. Another technique for locating hidden nests is to tap along baseboards and other wood surfaces with the blunt end of a screwdriver, listening for the hollow sound of damaged wood. If a nest is nearby, carpenter ants often will respond by making a " rustling" sound within the nest, similar to the crinkling of cellophane. Carpenter ants may establish nests in a number of different locations. It is important to realize that these locations can be either inside or outside the structure. Carpenter ants actually construct two different kinds of nests: parent colonies which, when mature, contain an egg-laying queen, brood and 2000 or more worker ants, and satellite colonies which may have large numbers of worker ants but no queen, eggs or young larvae. The carpenter ants inside a home may have originated from the parent colony or from one or more satellite nests. For example, the ants may be coming from the parent nest located outdoors in a tree stump, landscape timber or woodpile, or from one or more satellite nests hidden behind a wall in the kitchen or bathroom, or perhaps from wood dampened by a roof leak in the attic. The extent and potential damage to a home depends on how many nests are actually present within the structure, and how long the infestation has been active. Although large carpenter ant colonies are capable of causing structural damage, the damage is not normally as serious as that from termites. In some cases, the damage may be relatively insignificant, but this can only be determined by locating and exposing the nest area. ControlThe best way to control carpenter ants is to find and destroy the nests. This is often easier said than done. Recent studies have shown that carpenter ants follow distinct scent trails between the satellite colonies and the parent nest. Carpenter ants also rely on scent trails to recruit their nestmates to food. With patience and a little effort, homeowners can use this trailing behavior displayed by carpenter ants to locate and eliminate the nests. When carpenter ants are observed, don't spray them; instead, feed the ants small dabs of diluted honey placed onto the back (nonsticky side) of pieces of masking tape. The best time to do this is late at night since this is when carpenter ants are most active. After the ants have fed on the honey, follow them on their journey back to their nest. Be patient-- eventually the ants will disappear behind a baseboard, cabinet, or into some other concealed location such as the hollow space (void) within a wall, door casing, or porch column. Treat wall voids and other hidden spaces where ants are entering by carefully drilling a series of small (1/8 inch) holes and puffing boric acid (available at most hardware stores) into the suspected nest areas. The boric acid powder will disperse in the hidden void and contact and kill the ants. If you suspect the nest is in a wall, drill and treat at least 3-6 feet on either side of where ants are entering so as to maximize the chances of contacting the nest. Carpenter ants prefer to travel along wires, pipes and edges. If you suspect the nest location is in a wall, also treat behind pipe collars and behind --not in-- the junction box for electrical switch plates/receptacles. NEVER SPRAY LIQUIDS OR INSERT METAL-TIPPED DEVICES AROUND ELECTRICAL OUTLETS!). As noted earlier, carpenter ants seen in the home may actually be nesting outdoors, foraging indoors for food and/or moisture. Consequently, the homeowner may end up following the ants they have baited with honey out of the house and into the yard, possibly to a nest located in a stump, or under a log or railroad tie. Once the outdoor nest is discovered, treatment can be performed by spraying or drenching the nest with an insecticide such as carbaryl (Sevin), diazinon, or chlorpyrifos (Dursban). If outdoor nests are suspected, the homeowner should also inspect around the foundation of the building at night with a flashlight, especially around doors, weep holes and openings such as where utility pipes and wires enter the structure. The baiting approach using honey can also be used to trace carpenter ants which are foraging outdoors back to their nest. Tips When Calling a ProfessionalOftentimes, it will be difficult or impossible to locate and destroy the carpenter ant nest(s). In this case, the homeowner may wish to call a professional pest control operator. Pest control companies approach carpenter ant problems differently. Some attempt to locate the nest and selectively treat only in specific areas. Other companies take more of a "shot-gun" approach, drilling and dusting as many potential wall voids and nesting sites as possible. Most companies also apply a perimeter spray treatment around the outside foundation of the home in an effort to temporarily prevent reinvasion. The approach which should not be used is simply to spray each month where carpenter ants are seen. If no effort is made to locate the nest(s) or probable nest areas, the problem will most likely continue. Typically, there will be wide differences in price depending on the company and amount of effort expended. Since carpenter ant problems are not always solved on the first attempt, the type of guarantee and reputation of the company should be factored into the purchasing decision. Carpenter Ant Prevention
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Carpenter AntContact: Eric Day, Manager, Insect Identification Laboratory Publication 444-253, August 1996, updated June 1999
Carpenter AntHymenoptera: Formicidae, Camponotus spp. SIZE: Large - from 1/4 inch (6.4mm) for a worker up to 3/4 inch (19.1mm) for a queen COLOR: Black, or sometimes red and black DESCRIPTION: Carpenter ants are active indoors during many months of the year, usually during the spring and summer. When ants are active in the house during late winter/early spring (February/March), the infestation (nest) is probably within the household. When carpenter ants are first seen in the spring and summer (May/June), then the nest is likely outdoors and the ants are simply coming in for food. The natural food of the ants consists of honeydew from aphids, other insects, and plant juices, but they will readily forage for water and food scraps within the house. HABITAT: Under natural conditions, carpenter ants nest in live and dead trees and in rotting logs and stumps. However, they will also construct their nests in houses, telephone poles, and other man-made wooden structures. Nests are begun in deteriorating wood which has been exposed to moisture. Often, the colony will extend its nest to adjacent, sound wood. Nests are commonly found in porch pillars and roofs, window sills, and wood in contact with soil. LIFE CYCLE: The colonies of carpenter ants are often long lived. Each colony is founded by a single fertilized queen. She establishes a nesting site in a cavity in wood. She then rears her first brood of workers, feeding them salivary secretions. She does not leave the nest nor feed herself throughout this period. The workers which are reared first assume the task of gathering food with which to feed the younger larvae. As the food supply becomes more constant, the colony population grows very rapidly. A colony does not reach maturity and become capable of producing young queens and males until it contains 2,000 or more workers. It may take a colony from three to six years or more to reach this stage. Each year thereafter, the colony will continue to produce winged queens and males, which leave their nest and conduct mating flights from May through July. TYPE OF DAMAGE: Carpenter ants rarely cause structural damage to buildings, although they can cause significant damage over a period of years because nests are so long lived. Some recent evidence indicates that they can also cause extensive damage to foam insulation. CONTROL: Control of carpenter ant infestations requires that the nest be found. Once this is done, the infested wood can be removed or treated chemically, and causes of moisture damage to the wood can be corrected. The best procedure is to inspect all possible locations-and to select these locations on the basis of potential water exposure. Once the nest is located, control can be achieved by the use of an aerosol insecticide labeled for the purpose. INTERESTING FACTS: Ants of the genus Camponotus are known as carpenter ants because they house their colonies in galleries they excavate in wood. Carpenter ants do not eat the wood they remove during their nest-building activities, but deposit it outside entrances to the colony in small piles. The wood is used solely as a nesting site. The galleries of carpenter ants are kept smooth and clean, and are not lined with moist soil as termite galleries are.
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Ohio State University Extension Fact SheetEntomology1991 Kenny Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1090Carpenter AntsHYG-2063-94William F. Lyon
Carpenter ants are a nuisance by their presence when found in parts of the home such as the kitchen, bathroom, living room and other quarters. When 20 or more large winged and/or wingless ants are found indoors, in the daytime near one location, it is possible that the colony is well established in the home and the nest may have been extended into sound wood, sometimes causing structural damage. They do not eat wood, but often remove quantities of it to expand their nest size. However, if only one to two large wingless ants are erratically crawling, they may simply be foraging for food with the nest located outside. Outdoors, they are frequently seen running over plants and tree trunks or living in moist, partly rotten wood stumps. Nevertheless, carpenter ant inquiries rank first over all other household/structural pests in Ohio. IdentificationCarpenter ants are among the largest ants found in homes and live in colonies containing three castes consisting of winged and wingless queens, winged males and different sized workers. Winged males are much smaller than winged queens. Wingless queens measure 5/8 inch, winged queens 3/4 inch to the tips of their folded brownish wings, small minor workers 1/4 inch and large major workers 1/2 inch. Workers have some brown on them while queens are black. Workers have large heads and a small thorax while adult swarmers have a smaller head and large thorax. Carpenter ants have a smoothly rounded arched (convex) shape to the top of the thorax when viewed from the side and a pedicel between the thorax and abdomen consisting of only one segment or node. They have constricted waists, elbowed antennas and the reproductive's forewings are larger than the hindwings, transparent or brownish and not easily removed. Adults are usually black with some species red, brown or yellow occurring on parts of the body and legs. Eggs are about 1/8-inch long, cream colored and oval. Larvae are legless and grub-like, later pupating in tough silken, tan-colored cocoons erroneously referred to as "ant eggs." Life Cycle and Habits
Winged male and female carpenter ants (swarmers) emerge from mature colonies usually from March to July. After mating, males die and newly fertilized females (mated for life), establish a new colony in a small cavity in wood, under bark, etc. and each lays 15 to 20 eggs in 15 days. The egg stage takes about 24 days, larval stage 21 days and pupal stage 21 days or about 66 days from egg to adult at 70 to 90 degrees F. Cool weather may lengthen this period up to 10 months. The colony does not produce swarmers until about three years later. A mature colony, after three to six years, has 2,000 to 4,000 individuals. During the first brood, larvae are fed entirely by a fluid secreted from the queen's mouth where she does not take food, but uses stored fat reserves and wing muscles for her nourishment. The few workers emerging from the first brood assume duties of the colony, collecting food, excavating galleries to enlarge the nest and tending the eggs, larvae and pupae of the second generation. Workers regurgitate food for nourishment of the developing larvae and queen. She has few duties except to lay eggs. In later generations, workers of various sizes are produced (polymorphism) into major and minor workers, that are all sterile females. Males formed are winged swarmers. Larger "major" workers guard the nest, battle intruders, explore and forage for food while smaller "minor" workers expand the nest and care for the young. workers, when disturbed, carry off the larvae and pupa, which must be fed and tended or they die. In a mature colony, there is usually one queen with 200 to 400 winged individuals produced as swarmers. Workers have strong jaws and readily bite (sharp pinch) when contacted. Nests are usually established in soft, moist (not wet), decayed wood or occasionally in an existing wood cavity or void area in a structure that is perfectly dry. Workers cut galleries in the wood, expanding the nest size for the enlarging colony. Galleries are irregular, usually excavated with the wood grain (sometimes across the grain) into softer portions of the wood. The walls of the nest are smooth and clean (sandpapered appearance) with shredded sawdust-like wood fragments, like chewed up toothpicks (frass), carried from the nest and deposited outside. These piles of wood fragments, often found beneath special openings (windows) or nest openings, may contain portions of insects, empty seed coats, etc. Carpenter ants do not eat wood but excavate wood galleries to rear their young ants and carry aphids to plants, placing them on leaves for the production of honey dew. The food diet is of great variety (omnivorous) of both plant and animal origin such as plant juices, fresh fruits, insects (living or dead), meats, syrup, honey, jelly, sugar, grease, fat, honey dew (aphid excrement), etc. They feed readily on termites and usually never co-exist with them in a home. Workers are known to forage for food as far as 100 yards from their nest. Control MeasuresThe most important and often most difficult part of carpenter ant control is locating the nest or nests. Once the nest location is found, control is very easy and simple. Sometimes more than one colony is present in the structure or on its grounds, so a thorough inspection is very important. Steps to a successful inspection include an interview with family members, inspection indoors, inspection outdoors and sound detection. InterviewOften children and adults of the residence know where ants are seen, where large numbers are most prevalent, movement patterns, moisture in the structure, moisture problems of the past, if swarmers were seen, location of sawdust-like material in piles, populations outdoors, etc. Inspection IndoorsNests can be found in either moist or dry wood. However, carpenter ants prefer to nest in moist wood with a moisture content considerable over 15 percent, often caused by rain, leaks, condensation, etc. Structural timber is about 12 to 15 percent moisture. A moisture meter can find wet spots to pinpoint possible nest locations. Inspect behind bathroom tiles, around tubs, showers, sinks, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerator drip pans, etc. Check wood affected by moisture from contact with the soil such as steps, porch supports, siding, seepage from plugged drain gutters, chimney flashing, wooden shingle roofs, hollow porch posts, columns, leaking window and door frames, window boxes, crawl spaces, pipes, poor pitch of porch roofs, flat deck porch roofs, under porches, attics, etc. Sometimes, nests are found in dry environments, such as hollow veneer doors, curtain rods, small void areas between the door casing and ceiling, false beams, or under insulation in attics. Look for damaged timbers, swarmers in spider webs, wood piles indoors, piles of wood debris ejected from the colony (pencil sharpener shaving-like), "windows" or small opening to a nest, etc. Gently tap floor joists, etc. with a hammer. A nest cavity gives a hollow ring. A knife blade will penetrate the wood if infested. BaitingSome may use tiny piles of sugar at two to three feet intervals around the kitchen, bathroom, etc. in attempt to determine where the nest is located. Others use drops of honey or corn syrup placed on the back of masking tape. Make observations late at night, following ants back to their nest entrance. Flushing AgentA household aerosol spray, containing pyrethrins and piperonyl butoxide, applied directly into cracks, crevices or holes, will excite the ants (repellent action) causing them to come running out revealing the presence of their nest in some instances. Inspection OutdoorsLook for ants traveling from a tree or stump to the structure. They may travel over tree branches or vines touching the roof, electrical and telephone wires, fences next to the house, piles of firewood, logs, or railroad ties nearby or hollow living trees with entrance knot holes, etc. Workers are most active at night (midnight), traveling from their nest to a food source following trails but no particular trail leading directly to the nest. They do establish chemical (pheromone) trails. Sound DetectionAn active colony may produce a distinct, dry rustling sound (sometimes loud), similar to the crinkling of cellophane. It may be heard in a wall when standing in a room. A listening device, such as a stethoscope, may be useful when conditions are quiet and outside noises are at a minimum. Even a cat may hear noises in a home caused by ant mandibles (jaws) not from chewing wood or eating food, but as their form of communication, especially if the colony is disturbed. PreventionHomeowners should trim all trees and bushes so branches do not touch or come in contact with the house. Correct moisture problems such as leaking roofs, leaking chimney flashing, or plumbing, poorly ventilated attics or crawl spaces and blocked gutters. Replace rotted or water-damaged wood and eliminate wood to soil contact. Remove dead stumps within 50 feet of the house, if practical, and repair trees with damage at broken limbs, and holes in the trunk. Seal cracks and crevices in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wiring occur from outside. Be sure to store firewood off the ground away from the house and bring in only enough firewood (first examining it) to be used quickly . Consider non-organic mulches near the house in heavily infested ant areas. High moisture conditions must be eliminated to help control carpenter ants, prevent future attacks and prevent "wood decay" fungus infection. InsecticidesIf the nest is located in a wall void, it is best to dust directly with bendiocarb (Ficam), boric acid or Diazinon. Drilling 1/4 or 3/8 inch holes into the wall, sills or joists, where the nest is located, will best help the insecticide penetrate. Treat three to six feet on either side of where ants are entering to hopefully contact the nest. Some drill a series of holes at 12-inch intervals in infested timbers to intercept cavities and galleries of the nest. Holes can later be sealed by putting in dowels as plugs, small corks or covering with an appropriate sealant and touched up with paint, leaving no visible damage from the repairs. Spraying or dusting the baseboards or cracks and crevices around the infested area with residual insecticides, without locating and treating the nest, usually does not give complete control. Foraging workers will contact the insecticide and die while ants staying inside the galleries of the nest, along with the queen and developing larvae, may not be greatly affected. Kill might be slow with only crack and crevice treatment since workers need to carry enough insecticide on their feet back into the nest. Ants in the nest can live more than six months without feeding. However, aerosol spray treatments in the nest can be effective if much insulation is present. Vapors may be spread to penetrate inaccessible areas of the nest, aiding in colony eradication. Approaches and areas adjacent to the nest must be thoroughly treated with residual insecticides such as chlorpyrifos (Dursban) or Diazinon (Knox Out). Outside the structure, all breaks where ants can enter the home must be treated, and a perimeter spray applied against the foundation wall at least two feet up and three feet out. Be sure to treat under the lower edge of sidings, around window and door frames and the chimney flashing. There are many insecticides labeled for ant control. Before using an insecticide, always read the label, follow directions and safety precautions. Restricted Use Pesticides, available for the licensed pest control operator or applicator, would include bendiocarb+ pyrethrins (Ficam Plus) cyfluthrin (Optem, Tempo), cypermethrin (Cynoff, Cyper-Active, Demon, Vikor), deltamethrin (Suspend), lambdacyhalothrin (Commodore), permethrin (Dragnet, Flee, Prelude, Torpedo), propetamphos (Safrotin) and tralomethrin (Saga). Outdoor Use only would include fenvalerate (Tribute) and fluvalinate (Mavrik, Yardex). Other labelled materials are acephate (Orthene), ammonium silica gel (Drione, Tri-Die), bendiocarb (Ficam), boric acid (Borid), borate (Bora-Care, Drax, Mop-Up, Niban, Perma-Dust, Tim-Bor), carbaryl (Sevin), chlorpyrifos (Duration, Dursban, Empire, Engage, Killmaster II, Tenure), chlorpyrifos + pyrethrins (Dual Use), diatomaceous earth (Answer), diazinon (Knox Out), esfenvalerate (Conquer), propoxur (Baygon), pyrethrins (Exciter, Kicker, Microcare, Pyrenone, Pyrethrum, Safer, Synerol, Uld, X-Clude), resmethrin (Vectrin), sulfuramid (Pro-Control), and sumithrin (Steri-Fab). Bait and granular formulations are usually not highly effective against carpenter ants. Dusts, wettable powders, injections, and sprayables are better. It is often best to employ a licensed pest control firm, especially where nests are hard to find. Some firms attempt to locate the nest or nests and treat only in suspected places. Others drill and dust potential nesting sites. Most apply a perimeter spray treatment around the house foundation. Avoid simply spraying each month whenever ants are seen. Infestations will continue unless nests are eliminated. Locating the nest is not always easy, but is essential for control. This publication contains pesticide recommendations that are subject to change at any time. These recommendations are provided only as a guide. It is always the pesticide applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current label directions for the specific pesticide being used. Due to constantly changing labels and product registration, some of the recommendations given in this writing may no longer be legal by the time you read them. If any information in these recommendations disagrees with the label, the recommendation must be disregarded. No endorsement is intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism meant for products not mentioned. The author, The Ohio State University and Ohio State University Extension assume no liability resulting from the use of these recommendations. |
Several species of carpenter ants, Camponotus spp., are capable of damaging wood in buildings and other structures. Carpenter ants cause problems mainly in mountainous areas and in forested rural areas along the central and northern coastlines of California; they may also invade buildings in urban locations. IDENTIFICATION Key to identifying common household antsMost carpenter ants can be easily distinguished from other species of ants by their large size, up to 1/2 inch long. Common species are dark, often black. Carpenter ants cannot sting but if handled can inflict a painful bite with their powerful jaws. They emit a noxious excretion of formic acid when disturbed. Winged ants, which leave the nest to mate and establish new colonies, are sometimes confused with termites.
LIFE CYCLECarpenter ants feed on both dead and living insects, aphid and scale honeydew, and juices of ripe fruit. Carpenter ants enter buildings in search of food and may construct nests containing several thousand individuals somewhere within the building. Nests constructed indoors may be satellite colonies of a larger nest located outside near the building, usually in trees. As many as twenty satellite colonies can be associated with a single main colony that contains the queen(s). DAMAGEAlthough ants do not eat wood, they bore into wood to make their nests, which consist of extensive networks of galleries usually begun in areas soft from decay. Indoor carpenter ant nests are bored into wooden parts of the building, sometimes causing serious structural damage. They also nest in wall voids, hollow doors, cracks and crevices, furniture, and termite galleries. Infestations can occur in new buildings when land clearing in the area disturbs existing native colonies. In the wild, carpenter ants nest in soil and beneath rocks; they bore into living and dead trees and stumps.
MANAGEMENTExclude carpenter ants from buildings by caulking cracks and blocking other entrances whenever possible. Trim branches and limbs of trees and shrubs that touch the building to keep ants from gaining access to these routes. Eliminate food sources inside the building or prevent access to suitable food by keeping it in ant-proof containers. Use a mulch, such as gravel or stones, around the perimeter of the building to discourage nest building. Locate and destroy colonies in tree stumps and other nearby places. Eliminate damp conditions that promote wood decay. Replace decayed or damaged wood and correct problems that caused the decay, such as clogged rain gutters. Increase ventilation to damp areas beneath the building and in attics. Store firewood up off the ground and several feet away from buildings to discourage carpenter ant colonies. Search for nesting sites in the building. Nests may be located by observing ant activity and following their trails, especially during the night because many species are nocturnal. To attract the ants, set out food such as a mixture of sugar and milk or sliced up crickets and then follow the workers back to the nest. Try to find the gallery openings, which are usually small oval holes. Look for sawdust accumulations associated with these openings. Carpenter ant sawdust is considerably different from the pelletized frass left by drywood termites. Once colony openings are located, apply insecticide formulations (containing materials such as permethrin, cyfluthrin, boric acid, or disodium octaborate tetrahydrate) or desiccant dusts through these openings and other holes drilled into the galleries. Desiccant dusts are inert dusts combined with absorptive powders (diatomaceous earth or silica gel) that destroy insects by absorbing their protective outer body cover, causing them to dry out, or desiccate. Of the desiccant dusts, diatomaceous earth is readily available in retail stores, but silica gel may only be applied by a licensed pesticide applicator. Desiccant dusts are low in toxicity to people and do not lose their effectiveness over time, as long as they do not get wet. Avoid inhaling these materials, however, because they can cause serious lung irritation. Also, avoid the use of chlorpyrifos and diazinon; landscape and residential use of these materials in urban areas has been identified as a source of pollution for California’s creeks and rivers. If you use toxic baits, be sure to use slow-acting formulations so that the ants carry it back to reproductives and larvae deep inside the nest. This is important because fewer than 10% of the worker ants are out foraging at any one time. Boric acid baits that have a low concentration (less than 1%) of the active ingredient and are formulated in a sweet liquid are slow acting and nonrepellent. Because carpenter ants can be finicky eaters, first attract them to a nontoxic food like a sugar-milk solution or sliced crickets. Once they are feeding from this food source, replace it with several different toxic baits that are labeled for ant control, and let them choose the one they prefer. When selecting any insecticide, be sure it lists ants on the label. |
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Carpenter Ants Carpenter ants are important in the balance of nature because they burrow and nest in dead trees and enhance decay of the wood. They achieve pest status when a colony invades and damages the integrity of the wood within a house. This fact sheet will explain how the biology and behavior of carpenter ants relate to control strategies when a homeowner is faced with this problem.
The diet of carpenter ants is quite varied and includes living and dead insects, honeydew from aphids, sweets, meat, and fats. They do not eat wood. Workers leave the colony in late afternoon or early evening, forage during the night, and return to the colony in the early morning hours. Carpenter ants carry food back to the nest intact or ingested and later feed it to non-foraging members in the nest. These ants may forage up to 100 yards from the nest to search for food. Carpenter ants may become pests in houses by foraging for food. The greatest concern, however, is they may cause serious damage to wood in the structure. Unlike termites, they do not feed upon wood, but merely use it as a place to nest.
Carpenter ants will use an old abandoned nest or wood that has been "hollowed out" by termites. Nests may be located in hollow doors or small void areas produced during construction.
Certain parts of a house are more likely to be infested by carpenter ants. Refer to the following diagram for most common problem areas of a home.
Control Colonies of many ant species can be controlled with baits, but carpenter ants have such a varied diet, baits are not always successful. Spraying insecticide on foraging workers is of limited value because the queen will continue to produce more young. The secret to controlling carpenter ants is direct treatment of the colony. Look for the piles of sawdust to locate the entrance. Because worker ants move from the nest to forage for food, their movements may lead to your discovery of the nest opening. Inspect the entire structure and surrounding grounds, because the nest or nests may be outdoors as well as in the structure. Once you find the colony, you can completely eliminate the infestation by removing all the infested wood. But, if there is a contributing moisture problem, be sure to fix it first. If you cannot remove the infested wood, you can inject a dust formulation of an appropriate insecticide into the wall void. A dust formulation is best, because the ants walk through the dust and contaminate the colony. Introduce the dust into the nest through the entrance hole using a hand duster with a tube with a tip that fits snugly in the entrance. It may be necessary to enlarge the hole to fit the duster. You can make a duster from a flexible plastic bottle equipped with a tube tip. Fill the bottle no more than one-third full, insert the tip in the entrance hole, and inject the dust by alternately squeezing and releasing the pressure on the bottle. A dust containing 5 percent carbaryl (Sevin®) is recommended for this treatment. Only use carbaryl (Sevin®) dust in wall voids or other areas where the dust won't come into contact with humans or pets. Be sure to store any leftover insecticide in its original container with the label intact.
Carpenter ants will not kill living trees, but openings in living trees are attractive to carpenter ants; these openings should be closed. |