Several species of
carpenter ant inhabit the
Delaware Valley, but most go unnoticed. This is for two reasons, their
colonies are very small or they only nest
in twigs or branches outdoors. The Pennsylvania black carpenter ant is
an exception. It is not only the largest ant found in our area, but its
colonies can number many thousands. In addition, it likes to nest
indoors as well as out.
Carpenter Ants do not eat wood, but they do excavate breeding chambers
and galleries in it. They rarely infest sound wood; they prefer wood
already damaged by water, other insects, fungi, etc. The black
carpenter ant does not confine itself to nesting in wood however. This
extremely adaptable ant can make use of any hidden, protected area for
nesting. Therefore nests may occur inside walls, under attic
insulation, behind paneling, hollow porch columns and even inside
curtain rods and a host
of other areas.
For control, try to find the nest by following the ants back to it. If
the nest is found, control is easily
achieved by using the appropriate insecticide as directed on the label.
Be warned, however, that these ants often travel great distances from
their nests in search of food, possibly up to 100 yards. This means the
nest may be on another property. If this is the case, or the nest can’t
be located for other reasons, successful control may be achieved
through the use of various baits. The foraging ants find the bait and
bring it back to feed the rest of the colony, eventually causing colony
demise.
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