Carpenter Ants 

For most of us, living in the northwest means periodically sharing our house with carpenter ants, the only large black ant in this area.  Carpenter ants can be very destructive, as well as quite a nuisance if you don’t take steps to prevent them from damaging the structure of your home.   

Signs that you have carpenter ants

• You see worker ants foraging regularly in or around your home.
• Sawdust extruded for galleries.
• Swarming of winged reproductives.
• A crackling or scratching sound produced by ants within walls or timbers.
• Possible entrances, which may include wood in contact with soil and unfinished openings in the structure like wiring and plumbing.
• Outside nest locations such as wood piles or railroad ties.

Preventing carpenter ants 

Keep weeds, bushes and tree branches away from your house and eliminate any siding-soil contact.  Stack firewood off the ground away from buildings.  Repair water leaks in roofs and gutters or around toilets and showers.  Pre-treat your home during construction to prevent carpenter ants.  Locate and destroy any outside nests in stumps, trees or railroad ties. 

Regular perimeter treatments available through our Premium Value Home Protection plan will prevent carpenter ant invasion. 

Carpenter ant control 

If  you are seeing carpenter ants regularly on the outside of your home, but not indoors, an outside perimeter treatment may solve your problem. 

If you are seeing them regularly indoors and out you probably have one or more established nests in the home.  Usually nests in homes are associated with an outside “Parent Colony” in a stump, tree or other wood in the area.  We treat the nests in your walls by drilling and injecting into the exterior wall voids from outside, spraying the outside perimeter and crawlspace under the home and dusting the attic.  We also attempt to locate the “Parent Colony” and destroy it as well.

Carpenter ant Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT DO CARPENTER ANTS LOOK LIKE?

They are the only large black ants occurring in Washington. 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 home construction sites, the displaced ants will invade the new homes. The most common way nests are established is when worker ants swarm from parent colonies and migrate into homes 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 much 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 IS INFESTED WITH THEM?

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

WILL THEY HURT ANYTHING?

Carpenter ants can chew into the major structural timbers of your home while building their nests and runways. If ignored, they may cause serious damage. Furthermore, once established, they also become a serious nuisance in the home.

ARE CARPENTER ANTS REALLY A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THIS AREA?

Yes, they are the most common wood-destroying insect in the Northwest.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I THINK I HAVE CARPENTER ANTS?

Don’t panic- it takes time for serious damage to occur. Control is difficult, but possible. If you think you have a carpenter ant problem or want to prevent one, call us. We’ll recommend the proper treatment for the job.

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