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Wood boring and wood-destroying pests are very costly. Termites and pests that infest wood can cost businesses and homes thousands of dollars in repairs. If an infestation is bad enough, it can ruin the structural integrity of the building. Carpenter ants are also a serious problem and they are a common pest in Tampa, FL. The weather is perfect for carpenter ants to infest wooden structures, including homes, and burrow into the wood to create their nests.
Carpenter ants burrow their way into wood, but they usually prefer to do so in the wild and via dead trees and fallen logs. However, if they get into urban areas and places where houses and wooden structures are readily available they will use their powerful mandibles to burrow into the wood to create nests and chambers for food and young.
Ehrlich Pest Control in Tampa, FL, has years of experience getting rid of carpenter ants in properties. We can spot the signs of carpenter ants, provide methods to remove the ants and then offer treatments to prevent the insects returning.
Carpenter ants are a type of ant common around the world. They prefer warm, moist, climates where they can get wet wood to burrow into. Relatively large compared to other types of ants, carpenter ants are quite common in the Tampa area. The wood-destroying pests infest wooden structures to build their nests and left unchecked, they can become very numerous, forming large nests or multiple nests within the same area.
Unlike termites, which are also prevalent in Tampa, carpenter ants do not eat wood in order to survive. Instead, carpenter ants use wood to build their nests. They use the powerful mandibles they have in order to dig out wood and turn wood into sawdust which they then push out of the holes they burrow. Carpenter ants build elaborate tunnels and chambers in which to lay eggs and raise and nurture their young.
Carpenter ants will weaken wood by creating their tunnels and chambers which they use to bring food into the nests and hatch eggs to increase the size of the nest. When the time comes, adult carpenter ants with wings will fly to another location and build a second nest. It is well documented that carpenter ants will sometimes build nests in close proximity to each other, causing more damage.
Carpenter ants only bite wood. They generally do not bite people, although it would probably not be a good idea to just stick your hands into a nest of carpenter ants. They do have powerful mandibles that allow them to chew through wood, so if they did try to bite a perceived threat, the bite might be painful.
In fact, the mandibles of a carpenter ant are so powerful you may actually hear them chewing on the wood. You may also find discarded wings since flying ants are the first to set out on a nuptial flight to start a new nest. The ants move the chewed wood out of their nests as, once they have carved out the chambers and tunnels. As they don’t actually eat wood, the ants have no more use for the wood shavings and sawdust. You may find sawdust on the floors right beneath the holes chewed into the walls or wood structures the carpenter ants are using as their nests.
If you have carpenter ants or believe there could be ants within your walls or other wooden structures, contact your local Tampa Ehrlich Pest Control office and schedule an appointment with one of our specialists. Our highly trained and certified local pest control specialists know the difference between termites and carpenter ants. We can find all of their nests and provide treatment to get rid of the current infestation and prevent new infestations.
The damage from carpenter ants can end up costing thousands of dollars to repair. If you have seen the signs or suspect you have carpenter ants, contact Ehrlich today to stop the damage.