Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Information About Carpenter Ants in Chicago.

Carpenter ants are among the largest ants in the United States, ranging from 3.4 to 13 mm long. The most common color is black, but some species have reddish or yellowish coloration. Workers have large mandibles.  Carpenter ants are not that picky they live both outdoors and indoors mostly in hollow wood. They form their nests in the wood to provide passageways for movement from section to section of the nest. This activity produces wood shavings mixed with parts of dead ants which provides clues to nesting locations.

Carpenter ants are NOT termites.  They do not feed off of wood, but rather eat people food that falls to the ground and they even feed off other insects!  Queen lays 9 to 16 eggs the first year and may live up to 25 years. Eggs complete their life cycle in about 6 to 12 weeks.  In addition to noticing wood shavings the final sign may be the “rustling” sound sometimes heard as the ants go about their activity in the home’s wood.

In controlling an infestation of carpenter ants, it is necessary to first find the nest. Once found, it can be removed or treated chemically. All moisture conditions that the ants found conducive must be corrected.  If treated early, carpenter ants are seldom responsible for serious structural damage to houses and buildings.  Do not wait for ants to gain a foothold in your home this year.  Contact A Complete Pest Solution serving Chicago’s western suburbs at (630) 464-1542.  There is only one type of “ant” that you want visiting this year and that’s your mother or father’s sister!

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