When colonies grow too large and need to expand, a number of ant species produce winged reproductives called swarmers. The species Monmouth and Ocean County, New Jersey home and business owners need to worry about is carpenter ants. These large, black ants tunnel into wood, chewing out large galleries where they live and raise their young. Because these wood-destroying pests do their damage out of sight, inside wood boards and beams, their presence often goes undetected for some time.
Carpenter ants can do significant damage to your home or business before their presence is discovered. If you spy flying ants on your property, call a licensed Monmouth County ant exterminator immediately. Accurate identification and prompt extermination can minimize expensive structural damage to your home or business.
5 Facts About Flying Ants
1. Not all flying ants are carpenter ants and they might not even be ants. Wood-eating termites also produce winged reproductives that, to the untrained eye, look very much like flying carpenter ants.
2. Swarmers are not good flyers. At the mercy of the wind, they frequently land near their home colony. It is not unusual for multiple colonies of carpenter ants (or termites) to be located on the same property.
3. Only females survive the reproductive flight.
4. Swarmers only keep their wings for a short time. When they land, females bite off their wings and burrow into the ground to begin a new colony.
5. Swarmers are a definite sign of a serious pest problem. If you find flying ants on your property, call the ant exterminators at Allison Pest Control immediately.