There are more than 12,000 different species of ants in the world. And it can be very difficult to tell the difference between one kind of ant and the other. They come in various different colors ranging from red to brown and black while some species are even green or yellow. It can be hard to remember which ones live in your area and how dangerous they are. But that is where we come in.
Carpenter Ants in Maine
Many Mainers are shocked to find that they are coexisting with large insects in their house, known as carpenter ants. The two largest ants that we get in Maine are the black Carpenter ant and the red carpenter ant. Both like wooded areas where they can find moist and slightly decayed wood. Unfortunately, they sometimes find those aspects in our homes. They might find a house that is quite old or maybe has a section with soft wood from the moisture of the area, and when they do, they decide to set up shop. Luckily carpenter ants do not sting. They may bite but it is mild, and they only do so if they are being attacked. Carpenter ants in Maine are very social, like most other species of ants, they will form a colony which may have hundreds and sometimes thousands of ants. Which is why, when you see carpenter ants, you don’t want to delay in getting your house looked at.
What Does a Carpenter Ant Look Like
Carpenter Ants are a large ant with 3 major sections to the body: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. The head is a rounded triangular shape, while the thorax is very thin and long oval. And the abdomen brings up the last segment, and it is shaped like a plump almond. They also have a small segment connecting the thorax and the abdomen which is called the petiole node. It is a stairlike piece composed of one or two miniscule parts about the size of a pinpoint. Think of it as the narrow waist of the ant. Carpenter ants in Maine also have two bent antennae much like termites, but termites antennae are straight whereas Carpenter Ants antennae are bent like your leg or arm; they have a joint, allowing them to extend their antennae out farther. In most cases, the females are larger than the males; with the males usually measuring about ¼” to ½” and the females range about ½ “ to ¾” in length. The Queens, however, can get up 1”.
Carpenter Ant Sawdust Piles
When people think of carpenter ants, they sometimes think of termites too. Both bugs affect the wood in your home but carpenter ants don’t actually eat the wood. They make tunnels and chew through the wood to create their homes or ‘galleries’ as some people call them. This often leads to carpenter ant sawdust piles. This is one of the most common signs of carpenter ants in a home. These piles are also called ‘frass’. It is made up of wood shavings, debris, dead insects, and can be found outside nest openings also known as windows. Because of this, the damage they cause is significantly slower than the damage of a termite. Though that doesn’t mean the damage is minimal. You definitely want to get professional help quickly as these ants will move into other spaces in your home such as the kitchen or bathrooms. They will go looking for food and they can easily chew through containers, contaminating food along the way.
Flying Ants in Maine
One other kind of Carpenter ant that you should be aware of is the Winged Carpenter Ant. They have all the same characteristics as the normal carpenter ant, but they are born with wings. The thing about flying ants in Maine is that they only have their wings for a portion of their life. Once they mate, they drop their wings, making them like any other carpenter ant. Because they have wings, they don’t fly around in colonies as big as the normal carpenter ant. Once they drop their wings, they go looking for the perfect nesting site. They usually look for hollowed out trees or wet wood. Common places they find them are near a leaky pipe or maybe under an unsealed portion of the roof. Unfortunately for them, they rarely actually find a nesting site, and most winged carpenter ants die before they settle down and create the nest.
Who to Call When You find Carpenter Ants in Your Home
Green Shield Pest Solutions in Southern Maine is fully equipped to help you with all of your pest problems. We understand how frustrating it can be to have your home taken over by these little, or sometimes not so little, pests. Our technicians are professionally trained to spray, dust, and exterminate any type of pest that you may run into. Give us a call at 207-815-1003 for a quote today or contact us here. We look forward to meeting you.