Carpenter Ants

What are carpenter ants?

The black carpenter ant (Camponotus Pennsylvanicus) is the most common carpenter ant to be found in New Jersey and throughout the United States. These large, black ants are omnivores, who feed on insects and plant matter and can often be found foraging up to 100 yards away from their colony for food. The workers in a carpenter ant colony vary in size from 1/4 to 3/4 an inch in length and the queen can be as large as 5/8 inches in length. The largest of the American ant species, carpenter ants have a tri-segmented body, elbowed antennae and chewing mouthparts that can cause considerable structural damage to homes and other structures. Like all species of ants, carpenter ants are social insects that live in huge, organized colonies with thousands of members.

Why do I have them?

Carpenter ants usually nest outdoors in logs, wood piles or damaged trees, but will often move indoors to establish a nest in high moisture areas such as, wall cavities, porch pillars, roofs, window sills and under sinks and bathtubs. Carpenter ants require a constant water source for their survival so they will typically seek out wet or water damaged, decaying wood and then move into more sound wood to expand their tunnels and galleries. In most cases, a nest located within your home is a satellite colony which has been started by a larger colony located outdoors. The ants you see indoors are worker ants foraging for food and water. Carpenter ants can gain entry to your home through eaves, window frames, door frames, utility lines, overhanging trees and plumbing.

Are they dangerous?

Carpenter ants usually do not bite, but will pinch with their mandibles. The concern with carpenter ants comes from their ability to cause significant structural damage to homes and other structures. Carpenter ants do not eat the wood as termites do; they will chew up the wood and hollow out tunnels and galleries (large openings) to make their nests.

How do I get rid of carpenter ants?

Carpenter ants are a particularly difficult species of ant to eradicate because they can have a system of many nests that are all interlinked. If one of the nests is missed in the treatment process then the ants can rebound and reform. A ChemTec pest professional will design a customized ant control program that fits the specific needs of your property, with the goal of eliminating all of the destructive carpenter ant colonies.

Can I do it myself?

Due to the difficult treatment process to get rid of carpenter ants, which involves not only killing the foraging insects, but locating and eliminating the nest as well, these ants are not a pest many property owners have much success eliminating on their own. Many do-it-yourself remedies to rid your property of carpenter ants simply do not work as the materials they use are not effective and can actually make your carpenter ant problem worse. Remember – if misused or mixed improperly, do-it-yourself pesticides can be very dangerous to people, pets or plants.

Is the treatment safe?

The pest professionals at ChemTec Pest Control will first correctly identify what species of ant is invading your home or business, and then create a treatment plan that will eliminate your pest problem quickly and in an environmentally responsible manner. Before any treatments begin, our inspectors will consult with you regarding your children, pets, and gardens and then based on your current situation; they will then customize a treatment plan specifically for you.

How soon can you get here?

ChemTec Pest Control is committed to helping you as soon as possible. In most cases, we can respond the same or very next day.

What is the guarantee?

Our guarantee is simple: if you are not completely satisfied, we will give you your money back. If you have a problem with the pest after our services, just call us and we will come back to retreat for the pest at no additional charge within the warrantee period. We want all of our customers to be completely satisfied with our services and we will always work towards that goal.  Please visit Our Guarantee page for more information.

How can I prevent this in the future?

Many pest problems can be difficult to prevent so many of our customers chose a continuous Protection Program to help guard against future carpenter ant infestations.

Where does ChemTec Pest Control service?

ChemTec provides service throughout Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Union Counties in New Jersey. We also provide service to Rockland and Orange Counties in New York.