Do Carpenter Ants Have Wings Ways To Get Rid Of Them

There are different hierarchies when it comes to a colony of ants and you may see some winged carpenter ants flying around your house.People often wonder what the flying insects in their homes are and if they are dangerous in any way. Ants have many species that can be harmful in some capacity, and carpenter ants that can fly can sometimes be a cause to worry.You may encounter winged ants in late spring and early summer while they are mating. It is important not to let winged ants settle in our homes as they can soon become a colony and damage property. Seeing flying ants might also indicate the presence of a nest nearby as once an ant colony reaches full capacity, the colony sends winged ants to find and start new nests. Identifying ants with wings can be a task, so here we will help you find carpenter ants in your house and carry out pest control. Additionally, you might even mistake carpenter ant with a termite.You may see a single large ant roaming around inside your house. This is actually a carpenter ant scout. A carpenter ant scout is usually black in color, but can also be seen in a dark red color. Carpenter ants are the largest ant species you will notice in your home with a length up to 0.47 in (1.19 cm). Some males and winged ants or swarmers can even be up to 0.7 in (1.79 cm) long. A carpenter ant will have a single node between the thorax and the abdomen. Wood shavings and sawdust can be a sign of the presence of carpenter ants. A termite eats wood from trees and the structure of houses, but carpenter ants don’t. They instead chew the wood and remove it. If you hear sounds of rustling near your foundation, it will indicate that carpenter ants are hard at work. The damage to wood by carpenter ants can be quite severe and can make structures weak. The presence of a nest in the wood can undo the proper functioning of the structures.A new colony may have three categories of ants: the queen, worker ants, and the scouts with wings. Pest control in these circumstances is very important as the ants may not eat wood but definitely destroy wood structures. Search for gaps and cracks on the walls and seal them up. You should also search on the roof and openings of pipes, air conditioners, and electrical conduits. Garbage cans that are open, leftover food, and pet food bowls are also the reproductive grounds for these carpenter ants. All pests, including carpenter ants, require water to survive and for the colonies, so remove all wet and damp areas near tunnels and gardens of your homes. If you find pest control too hard, then you can also choose professional services that provide pest control at a nominal rate. Identification is easy, but to get rid of carpenter ants with wings indoors will require some hard work.If you enjoy this article, why not also read about do beavers eat fish and do all jellyfish sting here on Kidadl?How to identify carpenter ants with wings?Carpenter ants are very common all around the world. They are also commonly seen in the United States and Europe. You might easily confuse a carpenter ant’s nest with a termite infestation as both species build nests in wood. However, termites eat wood, while carpenter ants are just known for nesting in it.There are various species of carpenter ants in the world, with 24 species found in the United States alone. All species of carpenter ants prefer decaying wood for nesting as this kind of wood provides the proper moisture and temperature for the pest. Colonies of carpenter ants can also expand into many other satellite colonies near the parent colony. Extra space is excavated by workers to create more space and this is the reason ant control measures need to be taken.The size and shape of carpenter ants can vary from species to species. Sometimes the ants vary in physical aspects among members of the same colony. Size among workers too can vary. Of all the various species of carpenter ants found in the world, the coloration can be black, red, brown, yellow, orange, or both red and black. During swarms, males and females are known for flying out to mate. During these times, carpenter ants can easily be mistaken for termites. Carpenter ant swarmers can be identified by elbowed antennae, constricted or picked waist, and a front pair of wings longer than the rear one. Termites have straight antennae, a similar length of limbs, and a broad waist. Carpenter ant has a single node between the abdomen and thorax. Ants, in general, have three body segments: head, thorax, and abdomen. While a termite has just two: head and abdomen.Carpenter ant species are the largest among ants and have an organized life. Carpenter ants just nest in wood and do not eat it.Do all carpenter ants have wings?Ants in a colony perform different duties to ensure the longevity and health of the colony. There will be worker ants, swarmers, and the queen. Each member has different work and performs it elegantly.Workers build and maintain the nest and the queen produces more workers and flying carpenter ants. In a colony, there can be as many as 3000 adult ants. The queen lives up to 25 years and produces all the ants in the colony. The workers and the queens are wingless and only the carpenter ant swarmers possess wings. You will definitely see flying carpenter ants indoors or outdoors if you have an ant control issue.Swarmer ants are always larger than the other ants in nests. Males are smaller than females and are often confused with termite pests due to similarities in wing size and body structure. But if you look closely at both the pests, you will clearly notice a difference.After around two years of a colony, the wingless queen produces swarmer ants. These pests are also called alates. Swarmers have the purpose of mating and forming new colonies. The mating begins in the spring season and early summer. After the male pest mates with the female, the male dies leaving the newly appointed queens to land, shed their wings, and search for places to nest and form the new colony. Nests can be found in damp wood in trees or inside homes. This is the reason doors, windows, and wooden walls are mostly affected by this pest infestation.Can carpenter ants fly?Yes, some carpenter ants called swarmers are able to fly.Winged carpenter ants fly around inside and outside your homes. You will often see course sawdust mixed with ant and other insect parts near the tunnels of the nest. This can really ruin your house and weaken its foundations. Carpenter ants flying is actually called nuptial flight which is also seen while reproducing in bees, termites, and other ants.Winged ants are part of the reproductive generation of the species and come out of their tunnels when the condition is right. You will see them in an indoor nest as well as an outdoor nest. Some queens will travel large distances when it’s time to mate, while others will travel very small distances. Males fly beside the queen and the queen will try and evade the males and make them chase her. The toughest of the males gets to the queen and they nest together. Mating also takes place during the flight.Although this is a natural process, it is imperative to eliminate these pests from your houses as it can easily be a sign of damage to the foundation of your houses.How To Get Rid Of Winged Carpenter AntsWinged carpenter ants nest inside your house walls and the trees near you making them hollow and weak. The dark-colored ants have often been seen damaging the doors and windows of houses even though they do not feed on the wood. It is important to eliminate these pests to keep your house safe - indoor and outdoor. Professional help can be taken to free yourselves from these pests.Carpenter ants are mostly seen in the hot days of summer, but they can also be seen in the winter season if the conditions near them are hot enough. They will also be seen in free and wet areas, preferably water bodies. The best way to put in place pest control is to find the nest and use ant killers directly. You can also try to keep the area dry and keep food away to control this pest infestation. Repairs need to be made as soon as you notice the hollow tunnels and holes. You will also notice some sound and course sawdust with some dead ants. Keep using bait that the ants will use to feed on. Do it regularly and notice where the ants feed on these. After a few weeks, poison this bait to kill the ants.You can also ask for professional services who will rid this problem for you.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for ‘Do carpenter ants have wings?’, then why not take a look at ‘Do bats eat mosquitoes?’ or ‘Do bats have tails?’

There are different hierarchies when it comes to a colony of ants and you may see some winged carpenter ants flying around your house.