Two types of ants, the carpenter ant and the pavement ant, are notorious for inhabiting our homes. It is important to differentiate them and learn their habits In order to effectively deal with them. Discussed below is the difference between carpenter and pavement ants. The first step to ant control, is to identify which type of ant we are dealing with.
Carpenter ants are known to feed on sugar and proteins. This might come as a surprise to many as they are known to bore holes in wood but they only do that make tunnels. They inhabit dead and damp wood in old trees and homes. In homes it is mostly area which experience water leaks, in bathrooms and in kitchens also. One can follow the sawdust looking material they leave behind to find their habitat. They do most of their boring from sunset to midnight. The longer they inhabit a colony, the more damage they inflict.
They leave their nests during spring and invade homes in colonies. If you note their presence inside the house during winter, then that is an indication that they have an inside nest. The most productive way of eliminating them is avoiding habits which cause accumulation of moisture. If they have already made their way in, spot their nests and change that damp wood.
The pavement ant is known for especially occupying pavements as its name suggests. During spring they are notorious for the fact that one colony tries to conquer its neighbor resulting in nasty wars that leave behind many dead bodies and this messes up the pavements. They build their nests by digging into sand. The most effective way of eliminating them is by use of baits. These baits get carried into the nests by worker ants and in that way the whole colony gets wiped out. Two weeks are enough to eliminate the problem.
Keep you homes free from these ants and where pesticide is used, make certain that children can’t retrieve it as it is poisonous.