Carpenter Ants
| Size: | 3.4 mm – 14 mm |
| Colour: | Brown, Black, or Red & Black |
| Shape: | Rounded thorax & large mandibles |
Carpenter Ant Treatment
What Does Bugman Do?
In order to effectively resolve a carpenter ant infestation, a nest needs to be found. Our technicians will treat the entire house, both interior, and exterior while using a trained eye to search for the colony.
Will Carpenter Ants Cause Damage?
Carpenter ants can cause serious damage to your home. If the infestation is taken care of right away, damage can be prevented. However, if left untreated, carpenter ants can cause structural damage as they dig tunnels and build nests in your walls, and other areas of the home.
Why Choose Bugman?
We have 30 years of experience in chasing carpenter ants out of your home, and we offer affordable rates with a 6-month warranty.
What is Bugman’s Warranty?
We provide a 6-month warranty with our carpenter ant service because sometimes it can be a bigger infestation than you may think, and we want to make sure you are ant-free.
Where Does Bugman Service?
We offer carpenter ant treatment across the Fraser Valley, with our main areas of service being Mission, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley & Maple Ridge
Don’t wait for the carpenter ants to create a village in your walls, give Bugman a call at 604-854-2847, and we’ll help to rid you of your unwanted guests
More About Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are one of the most valuable insects we have on earth. They chew up tons of wood and turn it into fine sawdust that rots and provides compost for new growth. But when they enter man-made structures, like our homes and businesses, carpenter ants are considered one of the most destructive common insects we have in Canada.
A carpenter ant infestation needs to be eradicated as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the structure they inhabit.
Carpenter Ant Life Cycle
| Nuptial Flight | The nuptial flight is the mating process carpenter ants engage in every spring. At this time, winged males mate with winged females, while flying. After mating, the females lose their wings and the male dies. This female becomes a queen and begins to search for a place to start her colony. |
| Eggs | A queen usually lives for 20 years and lays 70,000 eggs in her lifetime. The queen will produce new “reproductive” ants, which will leave the colony to start a new sub-colony. Each new queen will lay between 15-20 eggs once they have found a place for their colony. Eggs usually hatch within 24 days, and until then, are kept in the main colony. |
| Larva | Once hatched, carpenter ant larvae go through 4 developmental stages. |
| Pupa | Fully mature larvae go into a cacoon for approximately 21 days, after which, the queen will help them emerge. |
| Adult Worker/Future Queen | Once the pupa stage is complete, carpenter ants advance into adult workers. Each colony has male & female ants that take on the reproductive role to expand colonies as well as workers (major and minor) to tend to the eggs and search for food. |
Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation
- Debris, such as wood shavings or sawdust, beneath baseboards, window sills, or any other wooden areas
- Large ants on or in your house may be noticed when workers are foraging for food
- The presence of winged ants (swarmers) may indicate an infestation as they are usually produced when a colony is ready to branch off into new colonies.
- You may hear rustling noises inside your walls or woodwork as carpenter ants carve out tunnels to create their nests.
How did I get Carpenter Ants?
The most common culprits for attracting carpenter ants are moisture and wood. Carpenter ants usually build their nests in damp or decaying wood, making homes with leaky pipes or moisture issues their ideal spot.
Just like your least favourite house guest, carpenter ants don’t knock or use the front door, and they always overstay their welcome. The pests often make their way inside through unsealed openings around utility pipes and wires, but may also venture onto the house using tree branches extending onto/over the roof.
If There is an Infestation, Why Haven’t I Seen Them Before?
Carpenter ants are more active at night, so you are more likely to see/hear them in the early morning or the late evening. They may venture out when it is sunny and dry outside to gather food. But when it is cooler or damp outside, the carpenter ants may spend their time tending to the nest, and ensuring that the colony’s pupae are taken care of.
Do Carpenter Ants Bite?
Yes! Carpenter ants will bite as a defense mechanism when their nests are being disturbed, and, because carpenter ants are large, their bites can hurt. Carpenter ants also spray a defensive chemical of formic acid, which they can spray into the bite wound, further increasing the pain.
Don’t become a snack in your own home, call Bugman at 604-854-2847 to help get rid of your carpenter ants.