Carpenter ants build their nests in wood so theyre often found in and around homes. There are around 200 different types of wood ant.
The black ant however is more widespread covering areas such as europe asia and parts of north america.
Black wood ant. But during the winter particularly in colder areas of the country ants are not living and breeding in the open outdoors. How to get rid of carpenter ants. Unlike termites they dont actually eat the wood they just nest there.
In their natural environment carpenter ants nest in dead trees and other dead wood. Carpenter ants only bore into wood to establish andor enlarge their nest. If an infestation is suspected and you need to know how to get rid of carpenter ants its always best to contact a licensed pest control professional who can assess the situation and recommend a method of carpenter ant extermination.
Carpenter ants like to build nests in stacks of wood. The size of the two is the most obvious difference with the carpenter species more than three times bigger than that of the black ant. Black ants and carpenter ants are both quite common widely found in north america.
Carpenter ants can infiltrate a home and get. Similar to termites carpenter ants damage wood. Unlike termites however carpenter ants do not eat wood for food.
These ants will hollow out sections of wood to create galleries they can move through. They cut galleries into the wood grain to provide passageways for movement from section to section of the nest. Carpenter ants can and will establish a nest inside or outside of any type of structure but wooden homes are especially at risk because carpenter ants like to bore tiny tunnels into wood.
This group of ants has other common names such as mound ants field ants horse ants and piss ants. It is capable of spraying formic acid at enemies up to a few feet away. Unlike termites carpenter ants dont eat wood they only tunnel into the structure to create a nest.
Because they prefer damp dead woods they can easily infest wooden infrastructure within the home. Learn where carpenter ants live. The black carpenter ants range is almost everywhere east of the rocky mountains in woodlands forest edges and suburban communities.
Formica rufa also known as the southern wood ant is an aggressive active and large ant. This enhances decay which has ecological benefits. An introduction to wood ants.
Carpenter ants are one of natures most aggressive wood destroyers. A widespread problem throughout homes in the united states carpenter ants are small typically black ants that prefer to make their nests in wood. Carpenter ant species reside both outdoors and indoors in moist decaying or hollow wood most commonly in forest environments.
So if flying ants are seen in the home in the winter it is most likely that it is an ant that is living within the structure of your home and worse it is very likely that there is a carpenter ant nest within the structure.