Cool Facts About Carpenter Ants
FACT #1. Carpenter Ants are BIG, really big! These ants are by far the largest ant species in Canada.
Carpenter ants are large black or red and black species that vary in length from 6 to 25 mm. The workers generally range from 6 to 13 mm in length. The reproductive males range from 9 to 10 mm in length and the reproductive females, the queens, are the largest, ranging from 12 to 25 mm in length. That’s a 1 inch Ant!
Carpenter ants, Camponotus herculeanus
FACT #2. Carpenter Ants don’t actually eat wood.
Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but instead construct their nests by burrowing into and hollowing out wood. They prefer moist and decayed wood, as it is a favourable environment for reproduction and survival. However, they can burrow into and destroy surrounding sound wood as well. The sawdust you may see near the entrance/ exit of a nest is “Frass” and it is a great indicator of a Carpenter Ant Problem
Carpenter ants actually eat other insects as well as plant secretions or decaying fruit.
FACT #3. Carpenter Ant nests can grow to a population of 80,000 to 100,000!
In a well-established colony the population of ants can be in the neighborhood of 100,000. the A single Queen can lay 60,000 to 70,000 eggs which are found in the primary nest that requires moisture to grow. Satellite nests do not contain eggs.
FACT #4. Remember that 1 inch Queen Ant, she can live to be 25 years old!
When you have 1000s of worker ants doing everything to protect the queen you can see why she can live a long productive life. The Queen’s primary responsibility is to lay eggs and produce more worker ants.
FACT #5. Carpenter Ants Fly! Not for very long but they do
During the early Summer and usually for a day or two, the winged Male and winged Female ants swarm to mate followed by the death of the males. The reproductive female lose their wings then head out to form their own colonies, and the cycle begins again.
Carpenter Ants are amazing, lets face it but not impossible to remove or prevent in your home. With an All-Star team of Solace Pest Control Technicians that applies safe & effective Carpenter Ant solutions, we can truly say relax, we’ve got this. Call us at 1-877-9RELAXX or contact us online.
