Pest Index

Pest Identified: Carpenter Ant

Pest Facts: Carpenter Ants Description Carpenter ants get their name because they excavate wood in order to build their nests. Their excavation results in smooth tunnels inside the wood (formicarium). Carpenter ants range in size from one-quarter inch for a worker ant to up to three-quarters inch for a queen. Color varies depending on species, on the Oregon Coast there are two primary species, modoc and vicinus. Modoc’s are the large brown to black carpenter ants that most people are familiar with and vicinus ants normally are a combination of brown/black and red or burgundy colors, with the thorax normally being red tone. All these ants do have winged swarmers depending on the time of year and weather conditions. • Size ranges from one-fourth inch for a worker ant to up to three-fourths inch for a queen in the most common species. • May range from red to black in color. • Build nests in deteriorating, moist wood; often the colony will extend its nest into adjacent, sound wood. • Are commonly found in porch pillars and roofs, window sills, telephone poles, live and dead trees, rotting logs and stumps and wood in contact with soil. • Do not actually eat the wood removed during nest-building activities; rather, deposit it outside entrances to the colony in small piles. Habits All species mainly attack wood that is or has been wet and damaged by mold. Even though these ants first invade wet, decayed wood, they may soon begin building paths through dry, undamaged wood. They usually come into buildings through cracks around doors, windows, or through holes for wires. They will also crawl along overhead wires, shrubs, or tree limbs that touch the building far above the ground. Habitat Carpenter ants build their nests outdoors in various wood sources, including tree stumps, firewood or landscaping. They need a constant water source to survive. They will enter homes through wet, damaged wood. Threats Carpenter ants damage wood through their nest building. If they gain entry to a structure, they pose a property threat. They can convey a painful bite with pronounced mandibles and injection of formic acid into the wound. Prevention Because carpenter ants require a water source, eliminate sources of moisture or standing water. Keep tree branches and other plants cut back from the house. Sometimes pests use these branches to get into your home. Make sure that there are no cracks or little openings around the bottom of your house. Sometimes pests use these to get into your home. Make sure that firewood and building materials are not stored next to your home. Pests like to build nests in stacks of wood.

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