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"When it comes to
Carpenter Ants,
Central Exterminating
has the most proven methods of treatment"
Don't let these destructive ants destroy your home!
SERVICING ALL OF:
MIDDLESEX, MONMOUTH, MERCER, SOMERSET & UNION COUNTIES For Prompt, Professional, Guaranteed Service.
CALL 1-800-464-5722
For a FREE Inspection with your
FREE gift Contact Central Exterminating
Your home is the largest investment you
have! When it comes to treating for Carpenter Ants, leave it to the professionals at Central
Exterminating!
For more information on Carpenter Ants, scroll down.
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| Carpenter Ant Damaged Wood |
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| Carpenter Ants on Rotted Wood |
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What are Carpenter
Ants?
Carpenter Ants are wood-destroying members
of the ant family. They live in most areas of the United States and feed on other insects and a variety of human foods.
Like bees and termites, carpenter ants are social insects which live together in colonies or nests, made up of different
types of members. A carpenter ant nest consists of males, queens and workers and may contain as many as 10,000 ants.
Carpenter ants vary in color. They can be all black, or yellowish
and even contain black and red. They are relatively large ants as ants go. They range in size (1/4" - 1,
1/2" )depending on the species. Carpenter Ants are sometimes confused with termites because they can also damage
wood. However, unlike termites, they "do not eat wood". They tunnel into it to develop their nest.
When a colony increases in size or the present nest becomes unsuitable, they will migrate. Depending upon where
they find ideal food and moisture conditions, they may build another nest in the ground, a tree, a woodpile, or "in
your home"!
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| Queen, Male reproductive, major and minor Carpenter Ant workers |
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How do they enter your home?
In their search for food and a suitable
nesting site, carpenter ants enter your home in a variety of ways.
Just about any small crack or opening is an
invitation for outdoor insects looking for food and shelter. Carpenter ants will forage up to several hundred feet and
will eat almost any household food.
Carpenter Ants can enter your home by:
Crawling up the foundation walls
Dropping from tree branches
Crossing telephone/electrical wires
Being
carried in with you firewood
Rotted gutter boards
Leaky windows
Rotted door frames
Holes in your soffits
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Where
will they make nests in your home?
Once carpenter ants enter your home, they will look for
moisture and usually establish a nest near water damaged wood such as:
Wood affected by water seepage near plugged
drain gutters, leaking door and window frames, etc.
Wood in areas of improper ventilation: cellar's, crawl spaces,
attics, etc.
Void areas near moisture sources: hollow doors, under bathtubs, etc.
MOISTURE
PRONE AREAS OF YOUR HOME
Kick-plates beneath outside doors
Fireplace area where it meets the
siding
Siding in step and deck areas
Porch columns and ceilings
Soffits (overhangs)
Corner stud assembly
Wall voids where roof abuts siding
Garage headers and jambs
Windows of bathrooms and kitchens
Bathtub area
Dishwasher area of kitchen
Sliding glass doors
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Why
are Carpenter Ants so difficult to control?
1.) They are unpredictable. While they prefer to build nests in water damaged
wood, they can also be found in unusual places such as beneath insulation, in dishwashers, in curtain rods and even in hollow
doors. Many times, carpenter ants appear in bathrooms or kitchens because of the high moisture levels in these rooms.
At the same time, they can be nesting at the other end of the house in the; crossing floor joist or ceiling beams. It
is important to remember that it is not sufficient to treat only the areas where the ants appear. That is why Central
treats all the key areas of your home.
2.)
They can establish many nest. Carpenter ant nest are usually hidden deep in walls or voids or other inaccessible
areas and very often, carpenter ants will establish more than one nest in a home. Therefore, it is very difficult when
making the original inspection to determine how many nests are actually present.
3.) They can move their colonies. When a colony gets too large
or the ants are physically disturbed, they will move and build a new nest. This is why Central's method of treatment
surrounds the ants with a chemical barrier. Their mobility reinforces the need for a thorough treatment in all susceptible
areas of your home.
How
Central's customized treatment will control Carpenter Ants
Our fully trained
inspectors will make a thorough inspection of your home, including crawl spaces, attics, basements, porches, garages and even
the area immediately surrounding your house. If he or she finds carpenter ants, they will outline specific treatment
procedures based on existing evidence, moisture conditions and proximity of entry points, etc.
Their
treatment recommendations will include any or all of the following:
Injection of insecticidal dust into
voids
Exterior barrier treatment
Exterior carpenter ant bait stations
Carpenter ant bait (Gel or Granules)
The use of the micro-injector machine
Precision liquid application
Note:
With some of the above treatments it may be necessary for our technicians to drill tiny holes in wall voids.
When complete, all these holes are neatly sealed by our trained technicians.
After
The Treatment
It does take time for the treatment to control the infestation.
The length of time will vary among structures, but generally in 10-14 days it will be effective.
It is important
to remember you may continue to see carpenter ants outside because they can be nesting in your trees, in woodpiles,etc. They
Will travel as much as 300 feet in search of food.
This is not a cause for alarm. But, if you regularly see
many carpenter ants inside your home, you may have a problem and should call it to our attention immediately.
What
you can do to prevent Carpenter Ants in the future
Central's customized treatment is only part
of the answer. In order to achieve effective, ongoing control of Carpenter Ants, you must:
1. Repair leaks in the roof
2. Caulk window and door frames
3. Clean and repair gutters
4. Remove
soil that touches the siding of the house
5. Cut back shrubbery that touches the house
6. Cut back tree branches
that hang over the roof
7. Move wood piles as far from the house as practical
15 FACTS ABOUT
CARPENTER ANTS YOU NEED TO KNOW!
1. Carpenter ants are more than just
a nuisance... inside your home, they can actually destroy it. In some parts of the country, they cause
more costly damage to homes than termites, which cost homeowner over $1 billion each year.
2. These
wood-destroying pests carve tunnels and chambers... through the wood of your home, not to eat it, but to form
passageways, galleries and nesting sites.
3. Your home is a natural attraction...
providing an idea environment for a colony with year-round warmth, moisture food and water.
4. Carpenter
ants build nest and passageways deep inside the wood in your home... the frame, the floors, even voids - making
the ants very hard to locate and reach.
5. Seeing just one may mean big trouble...
you will only see a small fraction of the colony. There may be a hidden nest of thousands just a few feet away; either outside
your house or even inside!
6. Once a colony reaches maturity, it begins to produce winged reproductive
ants... these ants will now establish new colonies nearby.
7. It takes just 66 days
for a queen to produce a functioning colony... due to the carpenter ant's rapid life cycle. A mature
colony takes 3 to 6 years to mature and contains as many as 10,000 workers.
8. Often, their presence
is not known until damage has already begun... Eliminating the problem early can avoid costly repairs rebuilding
and replacement.
9. Carpenter ants prefer moist wood... most common are porches, decks
and eaves, but they quite often burrow through and destroy dry wood as well.
10. Carpenter ants can
survive the toughest conditions... For example, their bodies generate natural antifreeze that enables them
to survive extremely cold weather. Their body fat alone can sustain them for up to 6 months.
11.
Carpenter ants can live for well over six months without food or water... they can survive temperatures down
to -1 F, and will resort to cannibalism so that the colony can survive for long periods.
12. Carpenter
ants forage for food mostly at night, traveling as far as 300 feet from the colony... by following their own
scent trail. Since this occurs after dark, homeowners are often unaware of the extent of their infestation problem.
13. One of the largest ants, they can inflict a painful bite... which is aggravated by
the formic acid the ant injects into it.
14. Carpenter ants are exceptionally hard to control...
because they live within the wood, where they are difficult to locate and treat.
15. The problem
is made worst by the fact... that the original nest usually serves as the starting point for many satellite
nests, located throughout your home and outside it as well.
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CARPENTER ANTS ARE ONE OF NATURE'S MOST DESTRUCTIVE PESTS!
For a FREE Inspection with your FREE gift Contact Central Exterminating
OR CALL 1-800-464-5722
Servicing
all of Middlesex, Monmouth, Somerset, Union Counties
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| Be sure to save us a sample for identifying your pest! |
Central Exterminating
44 West Ferris St. Suite A East Brunswick, NJ 08816
1-800-464-5722
(fax)
732-254-2214
Members of New Jersey and National
Pest Management Associations
DEP
License - #90464A
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