Fourmis charpentières or Carpenter ants though they may not seem like a big problem thinking they’re just another species of ants. They can be very problematic in other ways except for harming humans. But to understand that, one needs to understand what carpenter ants are and how they function for survival.
What are carpenter ants?
Carpenter Ants are small ants, almost ¼ to ½ inch long, with dark bodies with antennae. These are usually a lot bigger than normal ants and are more of a trouble if they get infested.
They got their name carpenter because they usually infest in the wood, scraping it throughout and creating a gaping hole through the wood. The entire colony of these ants love together and move in groups, creating hollow cavities in the wood, which can worsen over time. These gaping holes and cavities may cause the wood to weaken over time, leading to damage and breakages. Usually, these ants infest vulnerable woods, but it can’t be ignored that they tend to destroy the new and protected wood as well. These ants even affect strong trees, and one can already imagine the power the tiny creatures hold.
It can get a lot problematic if these ants infest a building or any infrastructure whose support system is partially or fully made up of wood. It poses a lot of threats to the building’s stability and can be damaging and, in the long run, dangerous.
How do I know if there are Carpenter Ants? And how do I prevent it?
Spotting Carpenter Ants may not be a very difficult job because, unlike termites, these little creatures leave behind proof of their presence. These ants dig holes and cavities in the wood but do not consume that wood, leaving behind small piles of dust saw heaped up in the galleries. If one notices something like this, testing the presence may be a suitable idea. The sooner it is done, the better it will be.
Though there is no solid way of preventing infest of carpenter ants, one can keep in mind that these ants need moisture to survive and continue their work of digging cavities. The prevention of wood being moistened is the only way of preventing the infest of fourmis charpentières.
It’s always better to go for proper professional pest management workers to subdue any infestation problem. Though people might want to try home remedies, they may not be very helpful and may worsen the case due to delay.
