CARPENTER ANTS

EXTERMINATION

Carpenter Ant Control Service
Professional Ant Exterminators in Quebec

Do you suspect you have an ant infestation problem in your home? Don’t panic! Our carpenter ant control experts can help you get rid of the intruders. Below you will find some basic information on this insect and some of the techniques used by Elite Pest Control’s ant exterminators to control this type of infestation.

Before getting to carpenter ant control, let’s take a closer look at this insect

Despite its tiny size, this pest, which measures between 6 and 25 mm long, is a serious menace, and carpenter ant exterminators are frequently tasked with controlling carpenter ant infestations in homes.

If you see a dark, wingless insect crawling around your home, you may be dealing with a worker ant. However, it could also be a termite, which is very similar in appearance. The carpenter ant, however, is thinner in size and has more curved antennae.

Even if you see carpenter ants roaming around your home, it doesn’t mean their nest is in your house. After mating, which involves a winged male and female copulating in mid-air, the male dies, while the female goes in search of a cozy nest where she can lay her eggs. And she will usually choose to make her home in damp, dead wood. Her favourite spots include:

  • A hollow tree
  • A stump
  • A log
  • A dead trunk on the ground

In 60 days, the brood of about 15 to 20 eggs will hatch its first sterile worker ants. They play a crucial role, finding food to feed the queen and the larvae.

These workers will be responsible for building long tunnels to house the growing colony. After about three years, the colony of carpenter ants will contain between 2000 and 3000 workers, one or more queens and 200 to 400 winged females and males, which will ensure reproduction.

At this point, satellite colonies will form in the vicinity of the mother colony. The workers will then move from one nest to another to take care of the queen and the larvae.

If a primary colony is located near you, there is a higher risk of having a nest in your home, especially with uncontrolled humidity and decaying wood. This is when it becomes critical to use a carpenter ant extermination service to control and end the infestation problem.

Why you need to exterminate this tiny but very harmful insect

Carpenter ants can cause serious structural damage to homes by chewing wood to dig their tunnels. In fact, they are the only pest that can be cited in lawsuits against a previous homeowner for hidden defects. Visit the website of the Association québécoise de la gestion parasitaire (AQGP) to find out more.

The most common nesting sites for carpenter ants include the following:

  • Porch columns
  • Support beams
  • House sills
  • Joists
  • Wall studs
  • Windows
  • Insulation
  • Attics
  • Hollow doors
  • The space between the walls

How do you know if you have a carpenter ant infestation?

If you see two or three large black ants walking around your home, don’t automatically assume that their nest is in the house. The workers may only come to your home to get food and water before returning to their colony, located in a nearby tree or woodlot, for example.

Nevertheless, take the time to check the basement, the attic and the outside of the house. There should be a little more activity after dark. Keep your eyes open!

If you find stringy wood particles in your home, such as sawdust, or parts of dead insects and other debris, there could be a nest in the house. Follow the path of the ants, they will lead you to their nest.

When to call a carpenter ant exterminator

As with mouse or rat extermination, it is absolutely necessary to eliminate all nests, especially the main colony. Otherwise, the ants will return to your home.

Unlike raccoon or bat extermination, pesticide treatments are often part of the solution. However, physical intervention and prevention are also necessary to solve the problem once and for all.

If you aren’t sure how to proceed, the intervention of a carpenter ant exterminator, such as Elite Pest Control, will prove very useful, especially when performing a complete inspection of the interior and exterior of your home.

If we find a nest inside your house, we will get rid of it and apply a preventive spray outside the house to keep the ants away.

Elite Pest Control: carpenter ant exterminators at your service

When inspecting your home, Elite Pest Control’s exterminators will show you the entry points likely to be used by carpenter ants. They will offer to caulk these entryways (windows, foundation cracks, openings, etc.).

Our pest control experts will also happily provide you with personal prevention advice. If you are currently dealing with a carpenter ant infestation, the following solutions can help you while you wait for a professional exterminator to intervene.

  • Eliminate sources of moisture in the house
  • Repair wood structures that are damaged by moisture
  • Pay attention to wood stored in the garage or near the house. Keep it elevated to allow air circulation
  • Cut tree branches overhanging the house
  • Cut down dead trees

Do you need help from carpenter ant exterminators? Contact Elite Pest Control now.