Carpenter Ant Control & Elimination Services in Massachusetts & New Hampshire

Colonial Pest Control has been providing expert carpenter ant control services since 1984. We maintain a team of highly trained technicians who employ effective, low impact, low toxicity treatment methods to take care of your ant invasion problem.

Carpenter ants are found all over the world, but they are recognized as the number one wood destroying pest in New England and cause more damage to structures than termites. There are several species of these ants that may be infesting and damaging buildings and homes. The most common one in the New England area is the black carpenter ant. They achieve a size between ¼” to ½” (0.6-1.3 cm) and are most active during the night hours.

These large ants prefer dead and damp, decaying wood in which they make their nests. They cut tunnels called galleries into the wood to provide passage to and from the nest. They do not eat the wood but cut through it to expand the size of the nest, usually in a direction parallel to the grain. Their diet consists of sources of proteins, sugars and honeydew, which is a liquid that is produced by aphids and other scale insects.

In the spring, carpenter ants colonies produce “swarmers” which are the reproductive winged ants that take flight in order to establish a new colony. They are often mistaken for termites, but in either case the appearance of swarms of black ants with wings is a good indication that you need to find an experienced carpenter ant control or termite extermination service immediately.

There are several signs that your home or business may have a carpenter ant infestation. The first sign may be the sighting of flying ants or large black worker ants roaming about the home; sometimes they have bits of material that they are carrying in their mandibles. These ants are foraging and will often travel over one hundred yards from their nest in search of food.

Another indication that you need to contact a trained and certified carpenter ant control service is the appearance of material called “frass”, which looks like sawdust and may contain insect parts and bits of soil. This is usually found underneath nest openings and is the result of the tunnels that are bored into the wood by the ants. When you notice this material, which could indicate a nest site, tap against the area with the end of a screwdriver or plastic mallet. It may sound hollow and also listen carefully for clicking sounds which are the response made by alarmed ants.

80% of the carpenter ants in a colony never leave the nest, so total elimination of the problem depends on finding the ant colony. Our technicians are trained to find the nests, which generally occur in wall and ceiling voids where moisture problems exist. We rely on the Microgen Micro-injector to help us locate, flush and kill the colony.

All of our carpenter ant control work is warranted. We offer one time initial clean-outs and ongoing preventive maintenance programs to keep carpenter ants from returning and destroying the value of your home.

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