MANAGING CARPENTER ANT POPULATIONS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract:
Impact of carpenter ant infestations in structures ranges from nuisance pests to seriously damaging pests if structural timbers are attacked. Carpenter ants excavate wood to form galleries for their brood and tunnels for foragers. A mature colony consists of a parent or main colony with the queen, workers, winged reproductives, and young brood plus one or more satellite colonies with workers, winged reproductives, and mature brood. Integration of chemical treatments and cultural controls was employed to manage structural carpenter ant infestations. Chemicals were applied directly to nests when parent and satellite colonies were located, and cultural controls were implemented to eliminate conducive conditions for carpenter ant infestations. When all aspects of the colony could not be located and conducive conditions could not be corrected, chemical treatments were employed. These included (1) the use of dusts in enclosed voids of a structure where ants were known to nest and travel, (2) the application of sprays to disrupt communication among parent and satellite colonies, (3) the application of chemicals to produce a barrier between the colonies and the foraging arena, and/or (4) the use of toxic baits to eliminate the parent and satellite colonies. Successful management of carpenter ant infestations is possible when these factors are integrated: habitat modification, elimination of ants in nesting sites, proper placement of chemicals, disruption of foraging, and a thorough knowledge of the carpenter ant species involved in the infestation.