Who Are The Carpenters Of The Pest World?

Carpenters. They fix things, and they build things. They are who you call upon when you want to build a deck on the back of your home, or put in a new bathroom, or build a whole new structure. Carpenters are helpful and make things nicer. But the carpenters of the pest world are something else altogether. So before you are tempted to picture carpenter ants and carpenter bees as tiny little steel-toed-shoes wearing, tool-box-carrying insects who crawl or buzz around fixing things, you might want to think again. These creatures are anything but helpful. In working to "build" their homes, they are working to destroy yours. This article will focus on helping you to identify the damages these "carpenters" cause, and what you can do to stop them.

Carpenter Bees

These insects are large black and yellow bees that are about 1 inch long. They look a lot like bumble bees but their abdomen is black and shiny and does not have the yellow hairs that are seen on bumblebee abdomens. Signs that you have carpenter bees:

• If you see carpenter bees flying around, you have carpenter bees. Pretty obvious right? Keep in mind that they are different from bumble bees in that they are entirely black from the waist back. This is easily distinguishable from several feet away.

• If you have small circular holes in wooden structures, you may have carpenter bees. Do a close inspection underneath all wooded areas, especially places that are unpainted, unstained, and untreated. These holes will be about the size of a penny and will be perfectly round.

Carpenter Ants

These ants are the largest ants you will see crawling around your home. They are big and black and are drawn to food and water sources. If they find a food source, they will bring it back to the nest, leaving a pheromone scent trail behind them so others can find their way to the food. Signs you have carpenter ants:

• If you see carpenter ants crawling around inside your home or business, you have carpenter ants. Again, pretty obvious. However, if you see these ants in your structure, that doesn't necessarily mean that they have begun a colony inside your walls and support beams.

• If you see piles of wood shavings beneath wooden items, this is a sign that those ants have taken root. Carpenter ants burrow into wood to create nests.

• A faint rustling noises inside woodwork or walls.

• When large flying ants emerge from ceilings, walls, or other areas, this is a strong indication that you have a carpenter ant infestation.

Having carpenters around to build or fix your home is a good thing. Having carpenter ants or bees around is not a good thing. Get rid of these destructive insects with help from All-American. We've been helping folks eradicate these and a multitude of other harmful household pests for more than 45 years. Reach out to us today.