Here’s How to Get Rid of Big Black Ants | Carpenter Ants

It is usually in spring when folks in Lancaster or York see big black ants. Carpenter ants, as they are referred to by professionals, are not something to fool around with. These black ants are known to destroy wood by chewing it and removing it to make larger nest areas.

Sometimes the “frass,” or shavings they produce, can be seen on the floor inside or on the ground outside where the worker ants are depositing their construction waste.  Sometimes these shavings can be visible in certain trees where carpenter ants have chosen to nest above in holes and are throwing out their trash onto the ground below.

That frass is a sign to get professional help.

Why Do I Have Black Ants in My House?

Carpenter ants can be highly destructive over long periods of times, and their damage is sometimes confused with termites. There is one thing that carpenter ants absolutely need in addition to a place to live and a food source… It’s water! Carpenter ants need a constant water source and will always set up shop near one. It could be an air conditioning unit that is leaking; it could be in a wall void where there is a toilet leak, or something as simple as a bird bath. With a constant water source, carpenter ants will set up shop in a structure, whether it’s in a basement sill plate, or an attic joist.

Carpenter ants don’t seem to mind cooler temperatures or warmer temperatures in your home. They just want a safe place to expand their colony. They will produce satellite colonies after they are established.

Carpenter ants live on dead insects, and they are protein eaters. It’s why you could find them foraging at your picnic table for hamburger crumbs.

Pennsylvania Home Inspections Often Include a Search for Ants

An interesting fact about carpenter ants in Pennsylvania is that if you have an FHA, VA, or HUD loan inspection, you will have your home checked for carpenter ants! Carpenter ants are one of the five insects on an inspector’s list when they’re looking for wood-destroying insects in Pennsylvania. So please keep in mind that these big black ants are nothing to fool around with!

If you see carpenter ants foraging around your home, please take them seriously and have Dominion look to make sure that they’re not nesting in your home!