What Are Carpenter Ants?
Generally, Carpenter ants are an insect that could make life a lot harder for you, especially during the spring, but what makes these guys tick? A good way to find out more about these interesting creatures is to do some research on current studies, and information found on Carpenter ants – it all looks too interesting. Getting into the head of your enemy is a great way to defeat them and is most likely where Action Pest Control, gets involved with keeping your home free from pests.
Mating season for Carpenter ants usually occurs in the late spring and early summer, all depending on current environmental factors. During mating season, the male Carpenter ants, also commonly known as “swarmers” mate with female Carpenter ants, commonly known as “winged females.” Once fertilized, females drop their male counterparts like a hot pot and shed their wings.
Only female ants live another day in the world of Carpenter ants, for they are the strongest of the strong, searching for a new home to build their colonies and harvest food for the winter. It is what they work for and it is their daily routine. Typically a new home for these pesky insects can be found between a small crack in a wooden structure, this is where the queen ant lays her first batch of eggs and awaits until they become adult worker ants. Before they hatch, the queen uses her body as a storage system to reserve fat and wing muscles for nourishment.
The queen provides food to her young by feeding them through her salivary glands, but thank goodness for them this is only for about 10 to 12 weeks until they become full on adult worker ants. Keep in mind, cold weather can help slow down the process of an ants’ development for up to 10 months. The queen’s sole purpose to the colony is to lay eggs. Furthermore, the only eggs she actually lays are her first broods and once they are grown, the mature worker ants may take care of their own subsequent broods.
Mature adult ants will end up doing everything for the the colony such as:
- Foraging for food
- Tending to eggs, larvae and pupae
- Excavating and populating their nest
The Carpenter ants are also divided into two main groups; major and minor and their responsibilities are as follows:
Miner ants: They hold the responsibility of gathering food and taking care of the young. They are basically the mother hen so to speak, and are the sole providers of the colony.
Major ants: They are big and strong and act as the shield of the colony, they are there to protect and serve..
Knowing about who and what lives in your home is an important part of pest control and will also help experts like us while performing diagnostics in your home. If you have a problem with Carpenter ants, call Action Pest Control – we have 30 years of experience to back you up!
