First of all, carpenter ants swarm in the spring. This is because this is when they are mating and looking for a new place to live. When the queen ant (who is winged) lands in a place they want to nest, they almost immediately lose their wings and start to burrow (NOT EAT!) the wood they are going to be living in.
Carpenter ants are most active at night (as with most insects) and can be found anywhere in your house that has damp or weak wood. Sometimes when you spot ants you are able to follow them to their nest in the house, therefore making it easier to eliminate the problem.
It is important to note that carpenter ants are JUST AS DANGEROUS TO STRUCTURES as termites. Although carpenter ants don't eat the wood, they do destroy the wood. Here is an example of what carpenter ants do to wood:
In order to help control carpenter ants and make sure that they do not come in to your home, you can take a few precautions. Make sure that trees and other plants are not touching your home as the ants can use a tree they are living in as a bridge to your house. Also, make sure that you take care of any leaks within your house immediately as carpenter ants LOVE wet wood. Also, make sure that if you're storing firewood during the summer it is AWAY from the house and off the ground. Carpenter ants LOVE firewood.
As always, please call your local pest control company if you have or suspect you have a problem. If you live in New Jersey give All-Way Pest Control, Inc a call!! :)
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