Frequently Asked Questions About Carpenter Ants

What are carpenter ants?

Belonging to the order Hymenoptera and the family Formicidae, carpenter ants are further classified into the genus Camponotus. Carpenter ants are indigenous to many forested areas throughout the globe but can also be a nuisance for many property owners in the United States, including Fairfax, VA and the surrounding areas.

Carpenter ants are one of the largest types of ants found in Fairfax and can be easily recognized by their distinctive black body that can grow up to 5/8 of an inch long. Their bodies are segmented and generally oval. They have six legs in addition to a strong pair of jaws. Carpenter ants get their name because they tunnel through wood to form smooth tunnels in which they live. Colonies of carpenter ants can contain up to twenty thousand ants, while large colonies will have up to fifty thousand of all different castes (workers, soldiers, and reproductives). After a colony is two years old, the reproductives (also called swarmers) will venture out to start new colonies.

What damage can carpenter ants cause?

Carpenter ants are some of the most destructive pests you can host on your property, mainly due to their habit of chewing and tunneling through wood. If carpenter ants are left unabated once they invade a house, they will destroy the internal wooden structures of your home. You will start to experience a number of significant damages including hollowed-out wood, wood that breaks easily, sinking floors and ceilings, and the risk of structural collapse.

Additionally, carpenter ants may tunnel through areas that contain plumbing or electrical wiring, creating the need for costly repairs.

What are the signs of a carpenter ant problem?

It can be hard to determine if you have a carpenter ant problem at first because these pests often sneak into the wooden areas of your property undetected. Typically, property owners only notice these ants once damage starts to occur, and by then, it’s often too late.

Below are some early warning signs that carpenter ants are in your Fairfax home:

• Frass (this looks like wood shavings) appear around baseboards or other wooden areas
• Rustling or clicking sounds in the walls at night
• Sightings of carpenter ants around your property
• Maze-like galleries carved into wooden areas

  Moisture issues around your property that attracted to areas of soft, rotten wood them
  Keeping an eye out for these signs of carpenter ant activity can help you get a head start on preventing a carpenter ant problem before too much damage has occurred. Our expert team at SPRK Pest Solutions can help!

How do I get rid of carpenter ants?

If you want to keep carpenter ants off your property for good, professional carpenter ant control is the way to go. The experts at SPRK Pest Solutions will be able to treat your pest issues safely and remove carpenter ants from your home.

Avoid major damage the stress-free way; contact SPRK Pest Solutions for more information about our pest control services for Fairfax and the surrounding areas.