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DIET
Florida carpenter ants eat a variety of plant and animal foods, as well as
sweets. Carpenter Ants also feed on other insects.
HABITS
Carpenter Ants are nocturnal.
They usually nest outside in moist wood or partially decayed wood.
They prefer to hollow out their nests in softened wood. Their nests
are called
"galleries." These galleries are clean and have a sandpaper appearance.
In
comparison, termite galleries are rough looking.
Wood that has been damaged by
carpenter ants contain no mud-like material, as is the case with termites.
Florida carpenter ants' nests are commonly found in such places as moist, hollow
spaces like the wall void behind dishwashers.
Nests are usually found in areas
where water leakage could occur, such as around bathtubs, sinks, roof leaks,
poorly flashed chimneys, or poorly sealed windows or door frames. Outdoor nest
are found in places like tree stumps, hollow logs, fence posts or dead portions
of standing trees.
However, theses persistent creatures can build nests in
cracks and crevices of sound wood.
They may establish nests in a number of different locations.
It is
important to understand than you can have both inside and outside nests.
Carpenter Ants construct two different kinds of nests: parent colonies which,
when mature, contain an egg-laying queen, a brood, 2,000 or more worker ants,
and satellite colonies, which may have large numbers of worker ants, but no
queen, eggs or larvae.
For example, the ones found in your home may
have originated from parent nests outdoors,
perhaps in a tree stump, 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.
Although large carpenter ant colonies can cause structural damage,
the damage is
not normally as serious as termite damage.
INSPECTION :
Because Carpenter Ants forage primarily at night, inspections should be made in the evening
or early morning to locate foraging trails and nest sites.
The workers have been known to travel as far as 100 yards from the colony
to search for food and water.
A thorough inspection is important to find all the sites.
Don't conclude your inspection when one colony is found;
several colonies may be present in and around the structure.
Inspect wooden structures
associated with high moisture,
where there may be water damage that produces
softened wood.
Carpenter Ants prefer frames and sills of windows and doors,
as well as tub
enclosure walls, and kitchen and bath plumbing walls.
After sunset is a good
time of day to see carpenter ants when their activity increases,
particularly in
the spring and summer.
You may want to use a flashlight to observe any obvious
trails and patterns.
To locate their nests' sites, focus on these areas:
INDOORS
* Moisture problems
*
Wall voids
*
Attics (especially under roofing and insulation)
*
Flooring or sub flooring
*Ceilings
*Windows
*Skylights
*Hollow doors
*Dishwashers
*Trash compactors
*Plumbing, pipe chases(kitchen/bath) |
OUTDOORS
*Trees
*Stumps/ dead trees
*Landscape timbers
*Woodpiles and fences
*Leaf litter
*Debris piles
*Mulch beds
*Door kick plates
*Roof lines and gutters
*Soffits and vents
*Windows and door frames
*Utility entrances( electric, cable, TV, telephone, gas lines)
*Sheds and doghouses
*Trash containers
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1. How long have you noticed the problem?
A long history of activity indicates a colony located in the structure.
In northern regions, activity indoors during colder weather is strong
evidence that a colony is
located in the structure.
2. How many ants do you see?
Seeing many ants frequently indicates an indoor colony.
If you see them only occasionally, they may be
random foragers coming in form the outside.
3. Where are Carpenter Ants seen most often?
This will provide a clue to where
Carpenter Ants are foraging and nesting.
4. Have you seen any small piles that look like sawdust?
Frass piles are usually located close to nest sites
5. Have you had any water leaks or noticed any rotting wood ?
If so where?
Carpenter Ants often nest in moist or rotting wood.
You should inspect these areas first.
Carpenter Ants prefer to nest in moist environments.
6. Conduct inspections in the evening or early morning.
Carpenter Ants are more active at night, so you're more likely to
observe foraging activity and find the nest.
7. Inspect "lines".
Foraging ants like to travel on fence lines,
phone lines, roof lines,railings ,
as well as driveway / sidewalk borders and edges.
8. Knock on wood near suspected nest sites.
Look and listen for activity.
Carpenter ants sound like crinkling cellophane.
9. Check frass piles for materials such as wood,
insulating, plastic, etc.
Frass material will help indicate specific nest locations.
10. Look for plastic vapor barriers under mulch beds.
Ants trail or nest under the plastic film.
11. Follow foraging ants carrying the food particles.
They're heading back to the nest.
Place food in the ants' path, then follow
them back to their nests.
12. Be mindful of weather conditions during the inspections.
They rarely forage if temperatures
are below 55 degrees F.
13. Inspect trees and dead wood.
They tend to nest in tree holes and dead wood
on the ground.
14. Inspect outdoor plants for aphids.
They like to feed on honeydew.
15. Look for tree branches, shrubs and vines
against the buildings.
Branches and vines provide easy access.
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HOW TO DETECT GALLERIES
Many times you can see what looks like sawdust
near their galleries.
This sawdust or frass, is shredded fragments of wood
that has been ejected from
the galleries.
This is a good indication that a nest is nearby.
But sometimes
this evidence is undetectable,
but using a screwdriver to probe the wood near a
suspicious are may reveal the excavated galleries.
Also, you use the blunt end
of the screwdriver to tap along baseboards
and other wood surfaces, listening
for the hollow sound of damaged wood.
If a nest is nearby, often the carpenter
ants will respond by making a rustling sound within the nest,
similar to the
sound of crinkling cellophane.
AFTER THE INSPECTION: CONTROL MEASURES
After inspecting for carpenter ants,
you will have determined if they are simply
outside, foraging inside or you might have a colony or
satellite colony on the inside.
Often, the ones you see inside your home
are simply foraging for
food,
and you may not see large numbers of them.
Foraging workers can travel 100
yards from nest to food and can be found wandering
throughout your house.
RESIDUAL SPRAYS: FORAGING
At times you will have foraging ants that come
from the outside to the inside,
forage for food ,
then leave going back outside to their nests.
A good defense for such a scenario would be a perimeter
treatment with a residual insecticide such as:
Demon WP Cyper WP, or
Suspend SC
on a consistent, quarterly basis.
This also stops new populations of carpenter
ants and other invading pests such as roaches and spiders.
Spray around the
foundation of the structure, around 2-3 feet high as well
as around the ground
floor doors and windows.
Spray in the garage and basement areas along the
baseboards.
Both of these products will give you about three months' protection
or longer.
Suspend is a liquid and Demon WP is a wettable powder.
They both work
well on all kinds on surfaces.
TREATING THE VOIDS: COLONIES INSIDE A VOID OR RECESSED AREA
However, indoor nest are also found in hollow doors,
window sills, behind
baseboards, or other natural hollow areas.
These are the areas that warrant
a complete inspection.
Their damage usually
indicates water damage and wood decay.
If you can determine where their nests are,
you can use an aerosol with a
crack and crevice tip such as: CB D-Force HPX or Invader HPX
to get right to the source.
Another good choice for direct contact with
a nest is a residual insecticide
solution such as : Demon WP Cyper WP, or
Suspend SC
Spray directly into their nest.
This will kill the queen or queens, thereby
eliminating the whole population quickly.
Note: It is not recommended that you use a liquid insecticide in a wall void.
You can treat wall voids and other hidden spaces where ants hide by carefully
drilling a series of small (1/8 inch) holes and dusting the area with a residual
insecticide dust such as Delta Dust
or you can use an aerosol with
a crack and
crevice tip.
These methods provide a long-term residual effect.
If you
suspect the nest is in a wall, drill and treat at
least 2-6 feet on either side
of where ants are entering in order to maximize the opportunity
to contact the
nest directly, so you can get the queen.
Note: ALWAYS use aerosols or dusts.
NEVER use liquid
insecticides or metal tipped devices around any electrical outlets.
: BAITING: FOR BOTH FORAGING CARPENTER ANTS AND CARPENTER ANTS IN RECESSED
AREAS.
Another good treatment choice is to bait
inside and the grounds outside with a bait like:
Advance 375A Select Granular Ant Bait or:
Maxforce Carpenter Ant Bait Gel.
These two baits would allow the foraging workers to take the bait to the queens
eliminating the colony /colonies,
thereby
preventing
future outdoor populations from coming
inside.
Both of these baits works well with
carpenter ants and will hold up outside.
They feed on sweets and at times proteins.
The Maxforce Carpenter Ant Bait Gel contains honeydew,
one of the major food sources for these ants.
The Advance Carpenter Ant Bait is protein based for there protein needs.
It would be expedient to use both baits for a complete balance
of their dietary needs.
We do carry a special kit with both products :
 Carpenter Ant Bait Kit
Foraging ants find the bait and
distribute it to the colonies.
Note:
It is important not to put insecticides,
liquid or granulated, in the same areas,
they would contaminate the baits.
It is important to remove other competing food sources
(such as crumbs and pet food),that could interfere
with them taking the bait.
Feel free to call us for further information
or help.
POSSIBLE STEPS FOR CARPENTER ANT PREVENTION
- Correct moisture problems, roof leaks, and plumbing leaks.
- Cut back tree limbs or branches that could serve as a bridge to your
structure.
- Seal cracks and openings around the foundation, especially where utility
pipes and wires enter from the outside.
- Firewood needs to be stacked away from the house, elevated off the
ground if possible. They love to nest in firewood.
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