Carpenter Ant Control | Navasota | Conroe | Huntsville | Madisonville | Brazos County
The black carpenter ant is a common household pest in the southwestern United States. Carpenter ants, in their natural habitat help with the decomposition of decaying trees. They normally nest in the hollow of trees, stumps, woodpile etc. The large workers often invade homes seeking out food. They will excavate rotting, moist wood, seldom sound dry wood.
Identification
Carpenter ants are very common in Texas. Carpenter ants cause damage to wooden areas where they are nesting and foraging. Their presence can be mistaken for a termite damage. However, while termites eat wood (cellulose material), carpenter ants make galleries in the wood for shelter resulting in damaged wood. color and size of carpenter ants can vary within one colony. Carpenter ants measure from 6 to 13 mm in length. Colors vary slightly from black, red and brown, black and brown being the most predominant.
Prevention
Remove logs, stumps, and miscellaneous wood materials close to the home. Trim back all shrubs and foliage from the home. Store firewood away from the house and off of the ground, and bring it into the house only when needed. Keep wooden parts of the house and other structures dry by making necessary repairs to roofs, flashing, gutters, and downspouts. Should you have any water-damaged, decaying wood, replace as soon as possible. Typically, carpenter ants will not infest wood that is sound and has moisture ratio of less than 15 percent. Exterior wood surfaces should be painted and sealed. Seal holes through which pipes, wires and other access areas that enter the house.
Control
When attempting to control a carpenter ant infestation, finding the nest is always a plus. However, this will usually not be the case. Therefore, a quality transport product must be used and carried back to the nest. All moisture conditions that the ants found conducive must be corrected.
If treated early, serious structural damage to houses and buildings can be avoided. However, these ants could damage structures if they continue for an extended period.
Primary and Satellite Colonies
Carpenter ants maintain two types of nests: primary colonies and satellite colonies. Primary colonies consist of a queen, the brood, and workers. Satellite colonies consist of workers, larvae, and pupae. Workers create satellite colonies when the primary colony lacks sufficient space or when there is a suitable amount of food or water. There may be a number of satellite colonies associated with a primary colony.
Our Carpenter Ant Control Service Areas Include:
- Grimes County
- Montgomery County
- Walker County
- Madison County
- Brazos County