Did you know that carpenter ants do not consume wood for nourishment? The name carpenter ant means what it says. This variety of ant works in the wood by removing the soft parts of the grain to produce galleries that will become the home and nursery of new broods of ants that will develop a new and vibrant colony. The wood bits that are hollowed out and thrown away are called frass. Frass is a very coarse wood chip that is not powdery like another wood destroying insect called powder post beetle or wood borers. The frass that may be found is littered with small insect parts of ants that have not survived in the colony. The dead ants provide much needed protein to those members that continue the work of colony development. Carpenter ants are cannibalistic to obtain much needed protein from the dead ants that helps in colony production.
Parent colonies can get very large finding it necessary to split the numbers of individuals in the colony. When carpenter ants split there may be a number of winged individuals that emerge as potential kings and queens of the new satellite colonies. This process is called budding. Carpenter ants choose food sources to provide for different needs during different times of the year. During the spring and summer ants search out foods high in protein for colony production while in the fall and winter carbohydrates, fats, sugars and oils are needed for energy production.
Keys to looking for where carpenter ants may build new colonies depend on three necessary elements. Moisture, food and harborage or places to comfortably live. These places may be inside fiberglass or foam insulation, around doors and windows where moisture has developed or in wall or soffit voids. When all three elements are met a satellite colony can take up residence and develop into a successful literal ant city. The size of carpenter ants varies since they are “polymorphic” in nature meaning that there are several sizes in the colony from very small to over one inch long.
Over a period of time carpenter ants may cause substantial damage to wood members. Reducing elements needed for a successful ant colony by habitat modification is key in controlling the colony. Integrated pest management practices can protect your home.