Having ants in the home is in most cases a giant nuisance. They swarm, they move around, and they are unsightly. However, if the ants are part of the carpenter ant species, then you have a real problem on your hands. These ants will tunnel through and build their nests inside wood, and they can cause tremendous damage to the home. Being able to tell the differences between the two will help you follow the right course of action and potentially save thousands of dollars.

Black ants

As the name suggests, black ants are black in coloration, but they may also be dark brown. They are fairly small in size, with a worker being less than a quarter of an inch in length, and the queen reaching about half of an inch. Colonies generally range from 4,000 to 7,000 members, but they may be able to reach even higher numbers of up to 15,000.

These ants will build their colonies outdoors, and they will enter the home to search for food. They do not cause a lot of damage, and they can be taken out with bait traps or ant spray. The only sign of an infestation that you will notice most of the time is the presence of the ants inside the home, and you can trace back their convoy lines in order to find the location of the nest. If you apply an ant killer directly to this nest, you can in some cases destroy the entire colony.

Carpenter ants

Carpenter ants are one of the largest species of ants in the US, growing to about one inch in length, with a dark coloration that may sometimes have hues of reddish-brown or orange. They will also have large mandibles, and a round thorax with a pinched midsection.

Carpenter ants can set up shop both indoors and outdoors, and you will usually find large colonies near woodlands, surrounded by sub-colonies. Each colony can reach up to 3,000 ants. The name of this species comes from the fact that it creates colonies inside wood, and these ants are very effective at the job.

Besides seeing the ants in your home, the first sign of infestation that you will notice is sawdust piles near wood that is infested. You can also check for damaged wood inside the home by tapping on it. If it sounds hollow, it means that the carpenter ants are inside.

Carpenter ant infestations should be treated immediately. Contact us today if you have a carpenter ant infestation.