Marching one by one, ants wreak havoc on homes

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July 3, 2006

Anonymous The Eagle Tribune Mon Jul 03, 2006, 09:38 AM EDT

While some may think carpenter ant season is over, those pesky black insects could be quietly damaging homes and other buildings.

With all the heavy rainfall across Southern New Hampshire in recent weeks, exterminators like Larry Johnson are finding many carpenter ants trying to get inside.

"We've been very busy," said Johnson, owner of Absolute Pest Management in Derry. His business has been going strong from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. to address the calls lately.

Although some say there is no direct correlation between the recent rain and humidity and carpenter ant activity, it can lead to wood rot if wood is not pressure-treated or if it is exposed, said Margaret Hagen, director of the Family, Home and Garden Education Center at the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. The carpenter ants build nests in wood that is wet and punky, she said.

One of Johnson's recent customers, Al Turmel of Manchester, said the recent rains brought back a carpenter ant problem he had a few years ago.

"I was very happy to see them leave," he said. "I know that they can cause a lot of damage."

Turmel tried to address his carpenter ant problem a few years by himself, but the insects returned, so he called in a professional. He made that same call again when he recently saw the ants inside and outside his house and an apartment he owns.

Since the extermination, Turmel said he hasn't seen the carpenter ants come back.

Carpenter ants are attracted to places where there is excessive wetness, Hagen said. Inside the house, that could be behind the dishwasher or in the bathroom if there are leaks. Outside, wooden siding, steps, porch columns, gutters and window trims are places carpenter ants might nest.

Carpenter ants pose a year-round problem, though the insects are more active in the spring, Hagen said. The ants' activity typically begins to taper off in early July.

"They don't go away, you just don't see them," Johnson said. The insects become nocturnal in the winter.

Winged carpenter ants, which reproduce and hunt for a new place to nest, are mostly done for the season, Hagen said.

During this time of year, Johnson said carpenter ants are attracted to sweet foods, which is why his company uses a sugar bait now. In the fall, he switches to a protein bait because the carpenter ants are attracted to such foods during that time of year.

Though aphids' honeydew is their favorite food, Johnson said carpenter ants also eat meat and vegetables.

"If you wouldn't eat it, they won't eat it," he said. The exceptions to that rule are toothpaste and fruited candle wax.

Lately, home inspectors are finding many of the problems as this is the time of year when people are buying and selling homes, Johnson said. Inspectors are finding carpenter ant damage and sawdust, he said.

If there is an infestation, homeowners would typically see the insects in the spring and early summer, Hagen said. During other times of the year they remain out of sight, but could still be causing damage to the house, she said. Owners should look for sawdust when hunting for ants. The insects do not eat the wood, Hagen said, but excavate it to create nests.

Homeowners can treat the problem themselves if they can find the nest, Hagen said. But finding the nest can be difficult if it is in an unusual place, such as underneath the shower if there was a leak.

Once the nest is located, commercial sprays can help exterminate the insects, Hagen said. If it is in window trim, for example, Hagen said a homeowner could remove the trim, spray the nest and replace the trim with pressure-treated wood.

Exterminators can use some pesticides that are not available to homeowners.

Johnson estimated it costs about $300 to $400 to treat an entire house, depending on the building's size and the amount of infestation.

Hagen urged homeowners to be aware of potential problems. If there are a couple of ants every day or so, there's no need to worry, she said. But if several are seen each day, owners should check to see where they're going.

"You just have to pay attention," Hagen said.

Carpenter ant facts

* They may have nests in a number of locations - inside and outside a building.

* Parent colonies contain the egg-laying queen, brood and 2,000 or more worker ants.

* Satellite colonies may have a large number of worker ants, but do not have a queen, eggs or young larvae.

* About 200 to 400 winged ants develop in the spring and remain in the nest through winter, leaving the following spring or early summer.

* Winged carpenter ants reproduce.

* The carpenter ants mate during a brief flight, after which the male dies. The female winged carpenter ant, known as a queen, removes her wings and finds a nesting site, usually in soft, moist, decaying wood.

* A new queen lays 15 to 20 eggs to produce the first brood of offspring, which later become sterile female worker ants that gather food and feed the queen and subsequent larvae.

Sources: University of Kentucky Entomology and Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension

Carpenter ant prevention

* Reduce the moisture level in basements and crawl spaces

* Remove scrap wood from around the home and move firewood at least 25 feet away from the foundation

* Keep bark mulch away from wood siding

* Eliminate wood to ground contact

* Keep gutters free of leaves and debris

* Fix water leaks as soon as they are found

* Replace damaged timbers with sound materials

* Do not allow wood within 18 inches of the soil, where possible

* Fill visible cracks and voids in foundation

* Direct water run off away from the foundation