Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are fairly large ants, sometimes reaching sizes of up to an inch in length.

In nature, carpenter ants usually nest outside in hollow, wooden void areas such as hollow trees, abandoned termite galleries, and fallen timber. They can also nest in man-made items such as fence posts, telephone poles, electrical conduit, and scattered debris. When they infest buildings, they tend to live in structural voids such as soffits, cinder blocks, wall voids, crawl spaces, and door frames. In general, they tend to prefer wood that has already been damaged by moisture.

Carpenter Ant Damage

Carpenter ants can cause significant damage when they excavate galleries in wood.

Carpenter ants don't actually eat wood. They use their powerful mandibles to carve out galleries in which to lay eggs and raise their young. The smooth galleries are one way that professional exterminators can tell the difference between carpenter ant damage, and that caused by other wood-destroying insects.

If a carpenter ant infestation is allowed to go untreated, severe damage can occur to the building's wooden structure. This photo shows damage that a long-standing carpenter ant infestation caused to the sill plate and bandboard of a house. This not-uncommon situation often results in repair bills in the hundreds or thousands of dollars -- an expense that can be prevented by regular inspections for -- and early treatment of --carpenter ants and other wood-destroying insect infestations.

Control of Carpenter Ants

There's no single "best" way to control carpenter ants. At Buckingham Pest Control, we utilize a variety of treatment methods depending upon the exact specie of carpenter ants, their location, the condition of the wood that they are infesting, and the season. Treatment measures may include consultation regarding removal of moisture-damaged wood or correction of moisture situations. We also utilize a variety of specialized baits, liquid treatments, granular products, or dusts, as appropriate to each individual situation.

Please contact us for an individual consultation and treatment plan designed for your particular carpenter ant problem. Buckingham Pest Control serves the Greater St. Louis, Missouri area.