Carpenter ants are large ants approximately ¼ to 1 inch in length and can be found in most parts of the world. Nesting inside damp, dead wood, but ants do not eat it, as termites do. Usually, carpenter ants hollow out a section of a tree, and build a nest in which to live, quite often killing the tree in the process. The most common Carpenter ant in the United States is the black Carpenter ant. These are the ants commonly found infesting homes. Carpenter ants in Massachusetts have become a growing problem over the last few years.

Most Carpenter ant species reside both indoors and outdoors in moist, decaying wood. However, once they get into your home they chew ‘galleries’ in the wood grain so as to provide passage from one section to another of their nest. Areas of the most susceptibility are around the windows, decks and porches, eaves, and wooded areas around basements. These pests are a problem because they damage the wood used in the construction of your home. They leave behind a saw-dust like material called ‘frass’, and that will provide clues as to where they are nesting.

Controlling these critters…

Controlling these little pests involves applications of insecticides in various forms which can include dusts, gaseous ‘bombs’ or liquids. Liquids are applied in areas where they are foraging, and are likely to pick up the materials and bring the poisons back in the colony upon return. Dry products, or dusts, are injected directly into the galleries through which they travel and in areas in which they are living to kill them directly, usually by compressed air. One call to Absolute Pest Management, and we will have a trained technician on his way to you. This is a problem that we can readily solve. So if this is an issue in your home, give us a call at 1-877-600-2263.