Big and black, carpenter ants are easy to spot; but these ants spell trouble if you find them crawling around your Monmouth County, New Jersey property. Members of Mother Nature’s demolition team, carpenter ants hasten wood decomposition by chewing large galleries into decaying logs to house their colonies. But when carpenter ants build their nests in the foundation wood of homes and commercial buildings, they become a problem that calls for professional ant control.
Here are three fun facts about carpenter ants:
Super Ant!
Carpenter ants are the largest ants in North America with super-sized strength to match their super size. Dwarfing other ants, these wood-destroying ants can reach a length of 3/4 inch and lift up to seven times their own weight with their powerful jaws. In human terms that would be like lifting a large dairy cow with your teeth!
Mr. Clean
Carpenter ants practice excellent hygiene, removing dead colony members and decaying food from the nest promptly. They also collect plant resins to chemically disinfect their nests. Cleanliness improves the insects’ chance for survival by removing pathogens and bacteria that could endanger the colony’s health.
Ant Farmers
Carpenter ants love their sweets and are particularly fond of a sweet dewy juice called honeydew that is produced by tiny plant aphids. To keep the colony well stocked with its favorite treat, carpenter ants tend, feed and protect “flocks” of aphids, regularly harvesting the sweet honeydew for the colony’s snacking enjoyment.
Carpenter ants can cause structural damage if they invade your home. If you see carpenter ants on your property, call the carpenter ant exterminators at Allison Pest Control for fast, effective ant control.