Carpenter Ants - A Brief Idea On These Insects
In the last couple of years, carpenter ant infestations have increased in Canada. More powerful than termites, these ants are capable of destroying wooden structures at much faster rate. This article will give an insight over this species and their extermination.
Carpenter Ants are playing great nuisance in many Western countries, especially in North America. Yes! This is true as the latest reports mark Canada as the most infested place. These reports also conclude that the infestation is mainly of the Camponotus pennsylvanicus or the black carpenter ant species, which was the first North American ant, named in 1773.
Biology
Speaking about these creatures, they live in colonies which contain more than hundred workers, several males and females and one or more queen. The workers usually range from 6mm to 13mm, whereas the males grow to a maximum of 10mm and the females range from 12 mm to 25mm. Several entomologists believe that the workers are of two sizes; the larger ones are called the major workers and the smaller ones, minor workers. The body of these black carpenter ants comprises a thorax, abdomen, a slim waist separating both of them and elbowed antennae.
Workers are usually wing-less but the males and females have wings. They mate either in the late spring or early summer and after that the males dies and the queens lose wings and establishes new colonies to lay eggs. Under optimum conditions, these eggs develop into adult workers in an average of 66 days.
To talk about the colonies, they have a parent colony but when the colony grows, these ants expand to form satellite colonies. Usually, it takes three to six years to build a large colony. Entomologists have found that the parent colony comprises workers, queens and young larvae. The satellite colony contains winged reproductive, pupae, mature larvae and workers.
Food
Carpenter ants are unable to eat solid items as they have thin esophagus. Therefore, they mostly live on tree sap. An insignificant percentage of these ants also feed on insects like aphids, honey bees, crickets, spiders, earthworms, grasshoppers, flies, mosquitoes, thatching ants etc. Scientific studies have revealed that these ants usually chew the insect parts to suck the nutritious liquids from them. Carpenter ants also feast on sweet food items like honey, raisins, candies, soda pops, sweet fruits, syrups and others. These solid items are usually carried to the water to make them soft and later they feed on the melted portion.
Outdoors, the carpenter ants are usually found in moist and decaying wood like logs and dead tree trunks. Indoors, they are found in sills, roofs, joists, window frames, studs, under floors, attic spaces, porch pillars, insulation, cabinets and buried wood. Carpenter ants excavate longer tunnels through wooden structures by removing the wood in the form of sawdust, thus causing considerable damage to them.
Keeping the damage in mind, it is necessary to exterminate these ants as soon as possible. Extermination of carpenter ants is not an easy job, and starts with the location of the parent and satellite colonies. Chemicals like cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, bendiocarb dust, cypermethrin, propoxur and boric acid dust are used to destroy these colonies. Pyrethroids is another chemical which can last long if applied to areas not exposed to sunlight and rainfall.
From the above discussion it is clear that these ants are a real threat to houses and hence require effective termination. For these people are advised to consult professional exterminators who with their expert knowledge, cutting-edge technology and registered chemicals can effectively terminate the carpenter ants Toronto, Mississauga, Durham and Burlington are the most infested areas in Canada and therefore have several such professional exterminators.
Carpenter Ants are playing great nuisance in many Western countries, especially in North America. Yes! This is true as the latest reports mark Canada as the most infested place. These reports also conclude that the infestation is mainly of the Camponotus pennsylvanicus or the black carpenter ant species, which was the first North American ant, named in 1773.
Biology
Speaking about these creatures, they live in colonies which contain more than hundred workers, several males and females and one or more queen. The workers usually range from 6mm to 13mm, whereas the males grow to a maximum of 10mm and the females range from 12 mm to 25mm. Several entomologists believe that the workers are of two sizes; the larger ones are called the major workers and the smaller ones, minor workers. The body of these black carpenter ants comprises a thorax, abdomen, a slim waist separating both of them and elbowed antennae.
Workers are usually wing-less but the males and females have wings. They mate either in the late spring or early summer and after that the males dies and the queens lose wings and establishes new colonies to lay eggs. Under optimum conditions, these eggs develop into adult workers in an average of 66 days.
To talk about the colonies, they have a parent colony but when the colony grows, these ants expand to form satellite colonies. Usually, it takes three to six years to build a large colony. Entomologists have found that the parent colony comprises workers, queens and young larvae. The satellite colony contains winged reproductive, pupae, mature larvae and workers.
Food
Carpenter ants are unable to eat solid items as they have thin esophagus. Therefore, they mostly live on tree sap. An insignificant percentage of these ants also feed on insects like aphids, honey bees, crickets, spiders, earthworms, grasshoppers, flies, mosquitoes, thatching ants etc. Scientific studies have revealed that these ants usually chew the insect parts to suck the nutritious liquids from them. Carpenter ants also feast on sweet food items like honey, raisins, candies, soda pops, sweet fruits, syrups and others. These solid items are usually carried to the water to make them soft and later they feed on the melted portion.
Outdoors, the carpenter ants are usually found in moist and decaying wood like logs and dead tree trunks. Indoors, they are found in sills, roofs, joists, window frames, studs, under floors, attic spaces, porch pillars, insulation, cabinets and buried wood. Carpenter ants excavate longer tunnels through wooden structures by removing the wood in the form of sawdust, thus causing considerable damage to them.
Keeping the damage in mind, it is necessary to exterminate these ants as soon as possible. Extermination of carpenter ants is not an easy job, and starts with the location of the parent and satellite colonies. Chemicals like cyfluthrin, bifenthrin, bendiocarb dust, cypermethrin, propoxur and boric acid dust are used to destroy these colonies. Pyrethroids is another chemical which can last long if applied to areas not exposed to sunlight and rainfall.
From the above discussion it is clear that these ants are a real threat to houses and hence require effective termination. For these people are advised to consult professional exterminators who with their expert knowledge, cutting-edge technology and registered chemicals can effectively terminate the carpenter ants Toronto, Mississauga, Durham and Burlington are the most infested areas in Canada and therefore have several such professional exterminators.
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