Due to our wet, cool spring the typical abundance of carpenter ant swarms we normally experience in April or May in Western Washington was delayed quite a bit. Whitworth Pest Solutions really began to experience a surge in calls beginning in late June and July. We’re still getting many calls now as we head into mid-August. The following is a short common FAQ on Carpenter Ants. The take-home message here is: be on the lookout for carpenter ants and DEFINITELY do not turn a blind eye to common ant sightings inside. This could be a sign of a serious problem and should not be ignored.

WHAT DO CARPENTER ANTS LOOK LIKE?

They are the largest black ants occurring in Washington State.  Workers range in size from 1/8”-3/4” and are solid black or their midsection may be reddish brown.  Female swarmers are winged and up to 1” long.

WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

Carpenter ants are abundant in wooded areas where they live in hollow trees and fallen logs.  In the spring, swarmers fly from the woods to search for new nest sites.  Often, when woods are cleared for new construction sites, the displaced ants will invade the new buildings, whether they’re homes or businesses. The most common way nests are established is when worker ants swarm from parent colonies and migrate into buildings to form satellite nests.

I ONLY SEE A FEW ANTS PER DAY, SO WHY SHOULD I WORRY?

Occasional winged ants may just be wandering in, but if you regularly see wingless workers, they are gathering food for a colony and a nest must be nearby.  Most ants stay in the nest and only 1-5 percent of the colony ever leaves it.  For every worker you see, there may be 99 more in the nest.

I ONLY SEE ANTS DURING THE SPRING. DO I NEED TO WORRY?

Carpenter ants are extremely active during the spring and become more secretive during the summer, fall and winter.  Their apparent disappearance during much of the year is typical of established nests when workers begin foraging outdoors.

HOW DO I TELL IF MY HOME (OR BUSINESS) IS INFESTED WITH THEM?

If you regularly see large black ants in the kitchen or bathroom, you probably have a carpenter ant nest somewhere inside.  If you see ants regularly along the foundation, sidewalks or patio, you have a nest nearby, possibly inside.

ARE CARPENTER ANTS REALLY A SERIOUS PROBLEM?

Yes, they are the most common wood-destroying insect in the Pacific Northwest. Carpenter ants can chew into the major structural timbers of your home (or business-they don’t discriminate) while building their nests and runways.  If ignored, they may cause serious damage, costing you thousands of dollars in structural repairs. For this reason, Whitworth Pest Solutions will take an aggressive approach (when required) when treating a building. We’ve seen what they can do when they’re ignored:

View of Carpenter Ant Damage in Wood

View of Carpenter Ant Damage Close-Up: Same Piece of Wood

Odorous House Ants

Odorous house ants (sometimes called sugar ants, sweet ants) are a common and major pest in structures all across the Pacific Northwest.  They’re not a wood destroying organism like carpenter ants, but are equally (if not more) annoying when infesting a building. They often get into food, walk all over kitchen and bathroom counters, and travel all over the inside of homes or other buildings—not knowing or caring about anything other than finding food and water to sustain their colony.

The odorous house ant is very small (1/10″ to 1/8″ in length) and dark brown to black in color. Completely eliminating these ants is extremely difficult because they can live practically anywhere; so locating their nest is also extremely difficult, if not impossible in some cases. Outside nests may be found under rocks and sidewalks or in landscape timbers, groundcover, mulch, etc. Inside they can nest in wall voids, crawl spaces, and just about any void-including in small appliances like toasters and telephones. Once they actually get into the living space of a house or other structure they can become a major irritant as they search for food, water or new nesting sites.

Odorous house ant workers explore their environment until they find food or water. They often prefer sweets (candy, sweet liquids, doughnut crumbs, etc.) but will also seek out protein sources (peanut butter, kitchen greases, meats, etc.) depending on the needs of the colony. Once food or water is found, a trail is established to deliver as many ant workers as possible to the source to retrieve it. Needless to say, it’s not a pleasant experience to discover hundreds of ants in a pantry rummaging through food.

Over-the-counter remedies such as aerosol sprays (Raid, etc.) are often used by consumers when ants are first discovered. The usefulness of these products in killing ant workers is overshadowed by the ensuing problems they create. Ant workers trailing through a house make up only a very small percentage (5%-10%) of the size of the entire colony. These sprays only kill what you see and do not destroy the well-hidden colony, so ants reappear shortly after the spraying is completed. Due to the repellent nature of the spray, the ants also spread to other parts of the structure that were previously not infested.

The Whitworth Pest Solutions treatment focuses on colony elimination rather than a quick fix. Inside and out, a combination of baits and water-based sprays are used, appropriate to the situation. The Whitworth Premium Value pest protection program is the best choice for long-term control and to prevent re-infestation by these ants. If you encounter them, notify Whitworth after they’re first seen, as the chances of a successful result rise dramatically when the problem is tackled quickly. Make Whitworth Pest Solutions your number one option for relief from these tiny, pesky invaders.