Identification of Carpenter Ants in Northern Utah

What some carpenter ants look like in Northern Utah - RentokilCarpenter ants can easily be confused with termites or other kinds of ants. With their affinity for tunneling through wooden structures and their recognizable appearance, it’s no surprise that people have trouble identifying them. Here in Northern Utah, carpenter ants have been known to cause extensive and expensive damage before even being discovered. So, how do you identify carpenter ants?

What Do Carpenter Ants Look Like?

These wood-destroying ants can look similar to other ant species, but they have some distinctive characteristics. These include:

  1. Their size: They are some of the largest ants that can be found in the United States, reaching around 1.5cm in length in some cases.
  2. Their color: They share the familiar black coloration of many other ants, but some have a particular yellow-red tint that sets them apart.
  3. Other features: Some distinctive features of these ants are their workers’ large mandibles and their swarmers’ long wings. Seeing swarming ants in your home is another sign that there is an active infestation.

Do I Have Carpenter Ants?

If you can’t tell which kind of ants you have in your home, there are still more indicators of carpenter ants beyond their appearance. These ants are known for carving out tunnels in wooden homes, but unlike termites, they don’t eat the wood that they chew through. This means that you’ll be able to find little trails of shavings and sawdust where they’ve been active.

Other signs of an infestation:

  • Discarded swarmer wings
  • Damaged wood
  • Ant activity in attics and crawl spaces

It’s safe to inspect your house regularly for any ant activity or nests in your wooden walls. When you do find ants in your house, check to see if they are carpenter ants, because the problem could be much more significant than a simple annoyance.

How to Eliminate Carpenter Ants in Park City UT

If you do find carpenter ants in your house, you should not fear them biting you or causing diseases, but there is plenty of cause for concern about the damage they might cause. The safest way to deal with an infestation is to let your local pest control company know. The ant extermination experts at Rentokil are trained to both eliminate active ant infestations and prevent future ones from occurring. Reach out today for a free estimate on carpenter ant control!

Carpenter Ants in the Spring

Carpenter ants are common in the spring in Utah and Idaho - RentokilSpringtime beckons the return of many pest problems. In our region, ants are one of the most troublesome springtime pests! We all are accustomed to dealing with the occasional house ant problem, but carpenter ants are one pest problem you don’t want to deal with. True to their name, carpenter ants nest in wood and can cause a bit of damage by excavating cavities in wood around your property. Often confused for termites, carpenter ants are a dangerous ant species that need to be prevented. The experts at Rentokil are here to share all you need to know about carpenter ants in the spring.

Signs of Carpenter Ant Activity

Carpenter ants are mostly black in color but can also have red or brown hints. Swarmer carpenter ants have wings that enable them to fly. However, the easiest way to identify carpenter ants is to look for the signs of their activity. Here’s what to keep an eye out for:

  • Piles of sawdust: Like other wood-destroying insects, carpenter ants will excavate holes and remove the sawdust, which often accumulates in piles near where they live.
  • Wet, decaying wood: Recent leaks or water damage are attractive to carpenter ants, who prefer rotting or decaying wood.
  • Noises in your walls: If you hear rustling noises in your walls or yard, there could be carpenter ants nearby. Their noise is often described as sounding similar to crinkling cellophane.

How to Prevent Carpenter Ants in the Spring

Preventing carpenter ants entails many of the same prevention techniques you’d use to prevent any type of ant. This includes:

  1. Cleaning up spills and crumbs. Any tiny mess will entice hoards of ants inside or outside your home. Regularly sweep and clean your kitchen.
  2. Fix any leaks or water damage. Ants need water to survive. Carpenter ants prefer wood that has been weakened with water damage to the point of decay.
  3. Look for and seal entry points. Needless to say, ants are microscopic and can get indoors through the tiniest crevices. Seal up holes with caulk.

Get Rid of Carpenter Ants For Good

If you have noticed carpenter ant activity inside or outside your home, it’s important to contact your local ant control experts at Rentokil. Our ant exterminators know exactly how to get rid of these wood-destroying ants—and keep them away for good. Contact us today to get started!

Important Differences Between Termites & Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are commonly mistaken for termites in Southern Idaho and Northern Utah. Learn more from Rentokil!

Termites and flying ants: what’s the difference? Flying ants, known as carpenter ants, can cause a lot of damage with their wood-boring abilities. However, termites are even more dangerous! In the swarmer stages of their lives, these two wood-destroying insects are commonly mistaken for each other. Although they both destroy wood, they are quite different from one another. Keep reading to learn expert tips on the differences between termites & carpenter ants from the professionals at Rentokil.

How to Tell Termites Apart from Carpenter Ants

Termite and carpenter swarmers certainly look alike, but there are several key differences. The best way to differentiate the two is to look at the size of their wings in proportion to their bodies. Flying carpenter ants are black in color, but can have a slight red hue as well. The most telling feature of carpenter ants is that they measure 1/2″–5/8″ with antennae bent at a 45-degree angle. Carpenter ant swarmers are larger than termites, which is a good way to tell them apart.

Meanwhile, termite swarmers are dark brown to black in color and measure 3/8″ long including the wings. Their wings are a translucent to slightly milky or smoky color, may overlap, and are typically as long as or slightly longer than the body. This is the best way to differentiate them from carpenter ants.

Winged ant vs. termite in Northern Utah and Southern Idaho - Rentokil

Behaviors of Wood-Destroying Insects

Termites and carpenter ants both tunnel through wood, but termites are typically more destructive. The main things to know about these wood-boring insects are:

  • Termites make their way into a structure around basement windows, doorways, under siding, porches, or any structure in contact with the soil.
  • Established termite colonies can range from 60,000 to over a million workers and can consume nearly 5 grams of wood per day.
  • Carpenter ants establish nests in wood that is already in decay, and later expand into normal wood, insulation, or wall voids.
  • Excavated termite galleries appear to have been sanded. Carpenter ants do not create the extensive damage termites do.

How to Control Termites and Carpenter Ants

Wood-destroying insects are feared by all property owners, and for good reason! Flying ants, known as carpenter ants, are the most destructive ant species in the nation. However, they don’t hold a torch to the damage caused by termites annually! Your best defense against a wood-destroying insect is to sign up for annual inspections from a professional pest control company such as Rentokil. We can help you learn how to tell the differences between termites & carpenter ants.