Ants are a very successful group of insects that live in colonies and just like us they need to have a home and a place to eat. Today ants are the most important and most difficult to control when it comes to pests that invade our homes and work place. Ant colonies will readily abandon their homes outside if they find a better place that’s more conducive for them to flourish. You may have seen ants moving their colony before they will move all the eggs, larvae, pupae and queens. This process can take just a few hours.
There are many different species of ants in Maine but none as familiar to us as the Carpenter Ant. Carpenter Ants are a native species of ant found in the east. Do you know what they look like?
Don’t be fooled these are not just big black ants! The Carpenter Ant is polymorphic which means they vary greatly in size. (These are all adult ants. You won’t see baby ants crawling around because ants emerge from the egg in the larval stage, then they will enter into the pupa stage where they develop into an adult ant.) Workers can be 1/8” to 1/2” while the queens can be 1/2” to 3/4″. Yes, many times they are black in color but they can also be a combination of black and red or even brown. The size of a mature colony can range from 3,000 to well over 10,000 workers! So the next time you see a couple ants don’t be fooled. There could be many more in the walls, attic or the wooden structure of your home, camp or business. So the next time you see ants, call Maine’s Best Choice Pest Management and leave the ants to us.