Carpenter ants can cause a lot of destruction to your home or business if they are not detected. One of the biggest misconceptions about carpenter ants is that they are just like termites and eat wood. Contrary to what many people think, carpenter ants don’t actually consume the wood, but remove it and deposit the remnants and debris outside of their nests.

Detecting & Removing Carpenter Ants

Since carpenter ants don’t actually eat the wood, they use it as their nesting site. They carve tunnels and chambers through the wood and as the colony grows, so does the damage to the wood. Carpenter ants don’t need rotting wood to make their nest (but they do prefer its texture) and are known to nest inside Styrofoam insulation and underneath regular insulation, in addition to places like in old dying trees, tree stumps or firewood. They can be found in just about any place in and around a structure.

You can tell that carpenter ants are around by looking for a sawdust-like substance, called “frass”, which provide clues to the location of their nests. Most of the time, carpenter ants establish satellite colonies throughout the area, with the main colony usually found outside in a tree. Once a satellite nest is removed from your home, the main colony will try to re-infest the area, so we recommend a complete exterior program in addition, in order to keep carpenter ants out of your home.

Ant Removal & Extermination Services In NY’s Capital Region

If you’re in the Capital District area of Upstate New York, including Albany, Saratoga Springs and elsewhere in between, call OPC Pest Control today at 518-877-6425. Complete our quick and easy contact form to schedule a consultation and discuss your particular carpenter ant problems and determine a course of action.


