Carpenter ants will infest any type of wood if it meets the proper criteria. Mainly, these ants are interested in dead wood that has a high moisture content. This means that not only will they occasionally attack the home, but that they may also target your backyard, in particular, your trees. Here is what happens when carpenter ants infest a tree on your property:
Do carpenter ants damage trees?
Carpenter ants serve a purpose in nature, and that purpose is to speed up the decay of dead wood. As such, they do not necessarily target healthy trees. However, if a tree has some dead wood connected to it, then the carpenter ants will infest the dead wood and then spread to the healthy wood, and this is something that can damage the tree.
What are the signs that there is a carpenter ant infestation in my backyard?
Carpenter ant workers are quite easy to spot because of their size. They can reach lengths of up to half an inch, which is significantly larger than any other ant species that you would normally come into contact with. So if you manage to spot these larger workers crawling on trees, then that’s a pretty surefire way to find which trees are infested.
Another sign is the presence of a sawdust-like material on the trees themselves or near the bottom of the tree. This material is known as frass and it’s basically the waste of the colony that’s been thrown out. Since carpenter ants have to dig through wood to build galeries and expand their nest, a lot of frass is generated, and it will indicate an infestation.
How do you remove these infestations?
When you have this type of infestation in your yard, not only are your trees being damaged, but your home is at risk as well. It won’t be long until the ants explore their territory and enter the home. If they find a suitable nesting location inside, they will start a new colony indoors, and you now have a major issue. As such, it’s important to get rid of carpenter ants as soon as you notice the signs of their presence, and for this, you will need the help of a pest control professional. Contact us today if you are having carpenter ant issues in your backyard, and we will schedule an appointment for an inspection right away.