There are several different species of Ant in the Reno area. Some are harmless while others can do quite a bit of damage.
Carpenter Ants
Aka “Sugar Ants” because they have a ‘sweet tooth’. Carpenter Ants mainly eat other insects, fruit juices, carbohydrates & honey dew from aphids therefore they can usually be found close to these kind of food sources.
Carpenter Ants are most commonly black with red legs and they live in moist, rotting wood. They are often confused with termites however they do not consume the wood as a termite does, instead they tunnel thru it and make nests.
Their tunneling will leave behind a saw-dust like material called Frass which acts as a clue to where you can find their nest. The carpenter ant mainly forages at night so home owners can look for them between the months of May-July from 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Sawdust or frass from carpenter ants
Carpenter Ants have multiple colonies with multiple queens spread through out them. One colony can have up to 40 queens which lays 15-20 eggs each. There is usually a ‘parent’ colony that is approx 100 yards from the building structure where the ‘satellite’ colony exists. Carpenter Ants travel back & forth from these colonies. All colonies must be destroyed otherwise the ants will repair themselves in a few days or even weeks.
Carpenter Ants are non-aggressive however they will bite and upon doing so they spray an acid into the wound causing an itching/burning sensation. Further more they can cause severe structural damage. Carpenter Ants can be found in the moist wood under windows, roof eaves, decks, and porches.
Carpenter Ant Damage
Carpenter Ant Prevention Tips:
- Remove stumps & logs within 100 yards of building.
- Store firewood away from building and off the ground.
- Don’t grow vegetation near the building (trim tree branches & shrubs).
- Keep wooden parts of building painted & sealed.
- Replace decayed or damaged wood.
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