818-Lancast»r Farming, Saturday, May 30,1998
UNIVERSITY PARK
(Centre Co.) As the weath
er warms, homeowners may
panic if they notice large
black ants —most likely car
penter ants — in and around
their house, fearing that the
home’s structural timbers are
at risk to the pests. But even
if you have a carpenter ant
infestation, you probably
have little to worry about,
says a Penn State expert.
“Although often blamed for
causing damage to wood, car
penter ants are usually little
more than a nuisance,” says
Steven Jacobs, extension
entomologist in the College of
Agricultural Sciences.
“Carpenter ants are some
what lazy,” Jacobs explains.
“They usually attack wood
that’s already rotted. If they
run into a sound dry piece of
wood, they generally won’t go
much farther. But they have
been known to cause exten
sive damage to soft materials,
such as insulation board.”
Carpenter ant workers are
wingless, dark brown to black
in color and 1/4 to 1/2 inch
long. The winged reproduc
tive ants resemble the work
ers but are up to 3/4 inch
long. The ants’ bodies are con
stricted between the thorax
and abdomen.
Because carpenter ants
are social insects that live in
colonies and excavate wood,
they often are mistaken for
termites. However, termite
workers are creamy white
and live hidden from view.
Winged termite reproductives
may resemble carpenter ants,
but termite bodies are not
constricted between the tho
rax and abdomen. Also, ter
mites’ antennae are straight
with bead-like segments,
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Carpenter Ants Nuisance
whereas carpenter ant anten
nae are elbowed.
In nature, carpenter ants
aid in the decomposition of
dead, decaying trees by exca
vating rotted wood for nesting
sites. They eat dead insects
and other small invertebrates
as well as honeydew secreted
by aphids and scale insects.
When foraging for food,
carpenter ants may find their
way inside your house. There,
they will feed on meats and
foods containing sugar and
fat. In some cases, these for
aging workers may establish
a satellite colony in the house,
congregating in existing
voids, such as hollow doors or
the space between studs in
walls.
“In homes, the ants typi
cally do not excavate wood for
nest construction,” says
Jacobs. “The may tunnel
through sound structural tim
bers to reach the void on the
other side, but this has little
effect on the structural
integrity of the timber.”
Jacobs says to get rid of
the ants, the parent and
satellite nests must be found
and eliminated:
• Use a flashlight to look
for foraging workers at night.
“Check basement, attic,
garage and building exterior
from May though July
between the hours of 10 p.m.
and 2 a.m.,” says Jacobs. “It
may be possible to find where
they’re entering the house or
follow them back to their par
ent colony, which is often
located in a tree, log or waste
wood within 100 yards of the
house. If numerous winged
reproductive ants are found
at windows inside, they prob
ably came from an indoor
nest.”
• Check areas where the
wood may be wet or damp
because of poor ventilation, a
leaking roof, defective flashing,
overflowing or leaking gutters
and downspouts, condensation
from water pipes, or leaking
bathtubs, showers and appli
ances. “Look, for piles of coarse,
stringy wood particles, dead
insect parts and other debris
sifting from cracks in the siding,
behind moldings, in the base
ment and attic and under porch
es,” Jacobs says. “Because car
penter ants don’t feed on wood,
excavated particles are dumped
outside the nest. Sattelite
colonies within homes can be
located by listening for rustling
sounds in walls and ceilings
using a stethoscope or inverted
water glass.”
• Remove stumps, logs and
waste wood within 100 yards of
the building. Do not allow vege
tation, especially evergreen
shrubs and trees, to be in con
tact with the house.
• Store firewood away from
the house and off the ground,
bringing it into the house only
when needed.
• Keep wooden parts of the
house dry by making needed
repairs to roofs, flashing, gutters
and downspouts. Replace any
water-damaged, decaying wood.
“Carpenter ants usually won’t
infest wood that is sound and
has a moisture content of less
than 15 percent,” Jacobs
explains.
• Seal holes through which
pipes and wires enter the house.
• Spraying insecticide along
baseboards and around doors
and windows may stop ants
from foraging in those areas
temporarily. But because nests
are often in walls, it won’t elimi
nate the problem. “Commercial
baits aren’t very effective for
But Not Threat
carpenter ants, Jacobs says.
“Your best bet is to spray around
the exterior of the foundation,
which provides a barrier to ant
movement. Sprays should be
applied at least once a month
from April through September
for most areas of Pennsylvania.
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hired and approved for this pur
pose, and carefully follow the
instructions and precautions on
the label,” Jacobs warns.
Jacobs says if you prefer to
hire professional help to get rid
of carpenter ants, first get esti
mates from at least three rep
utable pest control companies.
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