The red carpenter ant and the black carpenter ant are among the most common carpenter ant species in Canada. The presence of carpenter ants may reveal a problem of moisture or decomposition of wood structures in your home.
PHYSIOGNOMY
- The red carpenter ant is blackish with a thorax with red and brown shades
- The black carpenter ant is uniformly black with shades of brown
- The carpenter ant measures between 6 and 25 mm in length (0.24 to 1 inch)
BEHAVIOR
- Causes damage to wooden structures
- Prefers moist and rotted wood
- Search for food in homes
FOOD
- Workers are attracted to protein and sweet foods
- Does not feed on wood but digs galleries
- Requires access to a water source
LIFE CYCLE
- Form large colonies composed of hundreds of workers
- Possibility of several breeding males and females and one or more queens
- Can establish satellite nests in neighboring structures
- Can be housed in dead tree trunks, in stumps or logs
A colony of ants can build its nest in a house, without attacking the lumber, infest empty spaces between walls, attics or hollow doors.
Have you identified a carpenter ant? Call us immediately before the infestation becomes more serious! An expert will be available to answer your questions and indicate the right steps to follow.