Carpenter Ants

Carpenter Ants vary in size and color but are usually between ¼ to ¾ inch and usually dark brown to black in color. Besides being objectionable by their presence, carpenter ants damage wood by hollowing it out for nesting. Carpenter ants nest in both moist and dry wood, but prefer wood that is “softened” by moisture.
Carpenter Ants construct two different kinds of nests: parent colonies which, when mature, contain an egg-laying queen and 2000 or more worker ants and satellite colonies which may have large numbers of worker ants but no queen, eggs, or young larvae. If no effort is made to locate the nest(s) or probable nest areas, the problem will most likely continue. Carpenter Ants are, of course, wood destroying often causing damage quicker than termites as termites literally ingest the cellulose in the wood while carpenter ants simply destroy wood to nest in it. Often, along with seeing ants routinely, the presence of what looks like sawdust which is technically called frass is a homeowner’s first awareness that a problem may exist. Call our office at (973) 697-7979 if you suspect a problem or would like more information.