Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. Rather, they excavate tunnels within it in which to make their nests, lay their eggs, and raise their young. Even without eating the wood, carpenter ants can be extremely destructive because they have to keep digging out new tunnels as the number of ants within the colony increases. To avoid extensive damage, you should call for carpenter ant removal in Burlington as soon as you start seeing signs of a possible infestation. Here are some things to look for. 

1. Appearance of Carpenter Ants

While it is normal to see an ant in your home from time to time, if you are frequently seeing carpenter ants in your home, it is likely that they have a nest nearby and are out foraging for food. 

Carpenter ants have some distinctive physical characteristics that set them apart from other species. Most of them are black or dark brown, sometimes with a red thorax. Regardless of the colour of the thorax, there is a single node below it, whereas you typically find two on other ant species. The head of the carpenter ant is heart-shaped while other species of ants have round heads. 

However, the most telling characteristic that sets aside carpenter ants from other species is size. Carpenter ants measure five-eighths of an inch on average, which is five times as large as most other ant species. It is the large size of the carpenter ants that makes it easier to observe their other distinctive characteristics. 

If you see ants with wings, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they are carpenter ants. However, if they are winged carpenter ants, it tells you that your need for carpenter ant removal in Burlington is urgent. Winged ants, also referred to as “swarmers,” are born to breed and establish new colonies elsewhere. If you have carpenter ant swarmers, it means the colony has reached a certain level of maturity. 

2. Noises in Woodwork or Walls

If a colony of carpenter ants is small, signs of their presence may be more subtle, making it easier for them to avoid detection. An average carpenter ant colony has about 3,000 individual insects. Large colonies can range up to 100,000 but are more likely to have 10,000 or 20,000. When colonies get this big, you may be able to detect faint rustling noises coming from the walls, especially at night when the rest of the house is quiet, as the ants excavate their tunnels.

There is another way that sound can indicate the presence of carpenter ants. If you knock on the walls and the wood sounds hollow, it may mean that it contains a carpenter ant nest. 

3. Piles of Sawdust or Wood Shavings

Because carpenter ants do not eat the wood, they need a way to dispose of the wood that they chew up while making their tunnels. They make small holes by which they can push it out. This excess wood is known as “frass,” and it resembles wood shavings or sawdust. You are most likely to find it in little piles under window sills or along door jambs or baseboards. Crawl spaces or basements, where the wood is more likely to be damp, are other places where you should look for frass. Damp wood is soft and easier to chew through, and carpenter ants prefer it to make their nests. 

Why Should You Call Truly Nolen for Carpenter Ant Removal in Burlington?

We start the process by performing a thorough examination of your property to determine whether the pests are indeed carpenter ants and where their nest is. We use effective treatments based on new technology and knowledge of ants’ instinctual behaviour of bringing food back to their nests. Carpenter ants in a home are active all year, so our Four Seasons approach prevents them from coming back. Contact us for more information.