Carpenter Ant Invasion! Vancouver Washington

It is "Ant Season" in the pest control industry.  It is what it is-- in pest control, specifically in the northwest there are seasons where ant problems are more prevalent.  Spring and summer have ants, bees, wasps, spiders, beetles, etc.  Of course it is not some sort of fixed law of bugs.  Generally speaking though, it's open season for ants in the pest control industry and I have been seeing a rising number of carpenter ants in Vancouver, WA and Portland, OR.  Walking around my neighborhood, I have seen inseminate queen carpenter ants looking for a suitable place to build a colony.  An inseminate queen, is a LARGE female ant that has shed her wings.    Considering that my neighborhood is one with many houses close together and not a whole lot in terms of natural carpenter ant habitat, I foresee a growing carpenter ant problem right in my own backyard (so to speak).

Carpenter Ants are a problem for property owners because they are in the business of destroying the wood of homes and businesses.  Carpenter Ants carve out galleries in which to build their colonies and tunnel systems to food/water sources. 

People often mistake carpenter ants for termites and termites for carpenter ants, although there are many differences, the one similarity is that both destroy wood structures.  With a structurally damaging pest, it is best to treat earlier because the longer they have-- the more damage they cause.

Carpenter Ants play an important role in the "wild" in the breakdown process of dead and decaying trees.  As you can imagine, the "dead" trees in your home are the same to these ants as the ones in the forest.

In the last week, I have squashed searching queens in my backyard, on my front porch, in the entryway of my own house, and on the sidewalk on the way to my neighbors house (your welcome!).  So when I say there is a carpenter ant invasion-- I am not speaking generally as a pest control professional, but personally-- as a home owner as well.