Advice for Carpenter Ant Infestation
Carpenter ants are common in Georgia and can damage homes by excavating galleries in wood in which to lay their eggs. Their colonies can range in numbers from a few dozen ants to several thousand.
Carpenter ants are rather large ants, usually ranging in size from three-eights to three-quarters of an inch in length. Like ants in general, they are social insects with highly-developed colonies and a well-defined division of labor. Carpenter ants are wood-destroying insects. Unlike termites, however, carpenter ants don’t actually eat wood. They excavate galleries in wood in which they lay their eggs and raise their young. Over time, carpenter ant damage can become substantial and can require costly repairs to homes and other wooden structures. In general, carpenter ants prefer wood that has been moisture damaged, although they also will attack sound wood. They tend to infest structural voids in areas with fairly high relative humidity such as wall voids, roof soffits, the areas behind door and window frames, voids behind plumbing fixtures in kitchens and bathrooms, and hollow ornamental beams and posts. They’re also commonly found on sill plates, in ornamental railroad ties, and in stored firewood.
There are two species of carpenter ants in Georgia: The Pennsylvania (or “black”) carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus), and the Florida (or “red”) carpenter ant (Camponotus floridanus). Pennsylvania carpenter ants are black in color with a band of yellow hairs around their abdomens, and are the carpenter ants most often encountered by exterminators in Northern and Central Georgia. Florida carpenter ants have red heads and thoraces and black abdomens, and are more common in the Southern and Southeastern parts of Georgia. Both species have similar habits, cause similar damage, and are controlled using similar methods.
Hole-In-One Pest Solutions provides carpenter ant control in the West suburbs of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Unlike typical carpenter ant extermination companies, we take an integrated approach to carpenter ant control. We locate the carpenter ant nest, whenever possible and thoroughly inspect the home and grounds. We counsel the client regarding conditions conducive to carpenter ant infestation, such as moisture problems, overhanging tree branches, and clogged or leaky gutters. When necessary, we apply insecticides to eliminate the carpenter ant infestation.
