What’s that on my window? Flying carpenter ants! These winged relatives of carpenter ants are larger and more mobile than the regular carpenter ant.
When is carpenter ant swarmer season?
Carpenter ants come alive in early spring, sometime in March or April. They remain active until early September to mid-October. The colony releases the reproductive swarmers in the springtime. In winter, most are dormant, yet some indoor colonies may show some activity.
What is a carpenter ant swarmer?
Swarmer carpenter ants or ants in flight have wings and are much larger than the carpenter ants on the ground, sometimes up to an inch! These swarming ants are mobile and sexually mature and are meant to mate and develop new colonies of ants.
How do I get rid of carpenter ant swarmers?
First you have to locate them.
- Outdoors, carpenter ants are predominately nocturnal so you may have to search about at nighttime to locate the trail(s) to the colony.
- Indoors, you may see signs of their activity in the form of sawdust giving away the location of their tunneling.
- If you remember from a previous post on carpenter ants, they love to drill through damp wood and their very skilled mandibles assist them in the process. The sound can be audible and detected giving away their location.
Then we need to treat them.
Go to the source. Treatments are most effective when the nest itself is treated. Bait is not as effective and is much slower to success. At Accurate Pest Control, we reserve our plan of treatment until the area is inspected and we have a clear picture of the nest or colonies both inside and outside.
We are often asked about organic pesticides and we do offer them upon request.
Then we may need to clean up and fix any damages caused by the ants.
Often times depending on the size of the colony or colonies, the damage can be substantial. Existing damage from water leaks or other structural weakness creates an environment for the ants to easily build a nest. They tunnel and chew through the weakened structure.
Let us help you get rid of swarmer carpenter ants and restore your structure to a sturdy and healthy status. Our structural team works in tandem with the pest control team to eradicate the current pests, clean up any structural damages, and perhaps utilize our AccuShield program to seal up all entry points found during inspection.
Contact us if you see any flying ants on or around your home in the upcoming weeks!
