How to identify and get rid of black carpenter ants

Nothing is more fascinating and annoying than a long line of ants running through your home. And when those ants want to come inside for sweet treats AND nest in the wood of your home, something has to be done!

Black carpenter ants are common in many homes across the United States. However, if left unchecked, they can cause significant structural damage to a building. That’s because carpenter ants typically make their nests in dead or dying trees, and the posts and beams in your home look no different!

The ants don’t eat the wood, but like little miners, they excavate galleries that act as tunnels and living quarters for the colony. Colonies can have as many as 20,000 individual ants. Sometimes, larger, more mature colonies can branch off into satellite colonies. The “parent” colony will have the egg-laying queen and larvae, whereas the satellite colonies will only have workers and larvae.

Black carpenter ants are very noticeable as they tend to be one of the bigger ants in the US. The workers can come in various sizes, but they are usually all black. They also have elbowed antennae, a smooth, rounded back, and a narrow waist connecting the thorax and abdomen.

If you see a line of ants in your home, you know they found a food source somewhere inside. You can also look for sawdust-like material outside their nesting areas, sounds of rustling within walls or woodwork, and the sighting of large ants, particularly in the evening.

How big are black carpenter ants?

Carpenter ants are among the largest ants in the United States. Their workers vary from 1/4 inch to 5/8 inch in length, and the queen can be even larger, reaching up to 1 inch.

What other ants look like black carpenter ants?

Termites are often mistaken for carpenter ants, but termites have a thicker waist and straight antennae and are usually white to creamy in color. Other similar-looking pests include various ant species, but carpenter ants will be larger.

You’ll find carpenter ants near wooded areas, as they prefer hollow logs and dead trees. Moist and rotting wood is ideal for their nests. The worker ants will remove wood and create tunnels or galleries that are smooth and connected throughout a colony. You can often find a pile of sawdust below the nest entrance.

Inside the house, you can find carpenter ants near sinks, bathtubs, poorly sealed windows/door frames, roof leaks, and in hollow spaces like doors. Leaky pipes and gutters can cause exposed wood to rot and become a suitable place for a nest.

The best way to get rid of black carpenter ants in your home is to eliminate the reason why they are coming into your home in the first place.

Carpenter ants are looking for two things:

A) food, consisting of dead insects, fatty foods, sweets, and meat, and

B) a place to build a nest.

Keeping your kitchen and outdoor eating areas clean of food spills and messes will help reduce ants and other insect pests. You can use the ants' behavior of looking for food to your advantage, though. Insect baits can be placed along foraging trails or near where the ants are entering to kill the foraging ants. However, remember that killing the scouts or foragers won’t ultimately solve your problem, as the queen will continue to produce more eggs.

You can reduce the risk of an ant infestation by repairing leaks:

• Roofs
• Gutters
• Water pipes
• Faucets
• Sinks or toilets

Also, the following can prevent ants from entering your home:

• Prune branches near your home
• Seal cracks and gaps around doors and windows
• Keep firewood away from the home

Eliminating the nearby nest is the best solution to keeping ants out of your home; since ants can travel 100 yards in search of food, this might take some work. You can follow an ant trail back to the nest and then use an insecticide to kill the colony.

Consider spraying an insect barrier around your home, along the foundation, and inside, along the baseboards of your walls. Check out Pestie’s pest control bundle with pro-grade solutions tailored to your location. You can get professional-quality pest control at your convenience and at an affordable price!