Carpenter Ants will Destroy your Greater Austin Home Before You Know It
Ants are the most common insect that humans will ever come into contact with. There are a variety of different ant species out their crawling around and some are more harmful than others. One of the most dangerous species of ant when it comes to the structural integrity of your home is the carpenter ant. Many people believe that carpenter ants eat the wood that your home is built out of, like a termite would; however this is not true at all. Carpenter ants do not eat the wood that your home is made out of, but they burrow through the wood, weakening its structural integrity and creating thousands and thousands of small tunnels through the structure of your home. If you even suspect you have carpenter ants in your home, call a professional pest control company for a thorough pest inspection and treatment plan!
Carpenter Ant Signs; Finding & Identifying Carpenter Ants in your Home
Carpenter ants may look like any other ant to the untrained eye, but carpenter ants are actually quite larger than most other ant species. Queen carpenter ants are usually ¾ inches long and worker ants are about a ½ inch long. Carpenter ants are the only ants that have wings, which they use to fly to establish new colonies. Signs that carpenter ants may be inside of your home include sawdust and debris, rustling sounds in the walls and trails of ants found between the foundation and decayed wood outside of your home. If you notice any of these signs, they are all strong indicators that you have a carpenter ant problem. A-Tex Pest Management specializes in removing carpenter ants.
What do Carpenter Ants Eat?
Most people associate an ant’s diet with sweet sugary foods like a stray piece of candy that has been left behind. Carpenter ants do enjoy a sweet treat but their diet also consists of other sources. Carpenter ants eat a variety of foods including dead insects, honeydew from aphids, plant juices, and any food they can get a hold of within the walls of your home. It is important to thoroughly clean up after each meal so no crumbs are left behind, whether it be a bread crumb or a cookie crumb, you can be assured that the carpenter ant will eat both and take any leftovers back to the nest. Ants have the ability to go without food for up to six months during the winter, however they may eat their own larvae and eggs if they are feeling stressed.