How to Identify and Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants in Your Florida Home

While all ants are annoying, most of them are tiny and relatively harmless. If they bite it’s usually a mild sting. Additionally, having them in your home won’t cause property damage. 

Unless you have Carpenter Ants. 

• Carpenter ants are large. 
• Carpenter ants can damage your home. 
• Carpenter ants have a painful bite. 

And possibly worst of all, carpenter ants are particularly difficult to eradicate. It’s nearly impossible to get rid of carpenter ants using products you purchase at the store. So how do you get rid of carpenter ants in Florida? Superior Spray Service has all the information that you need to know about getting carpenter ants out of your home. Read to learn more.

First, you’ll need to identify if the ants you’re dealing with are carpenter ants. Carpenter ants are most often black, but they can be a variety of colors: red with black, all red or all-brown. These ants have noticeably heart-shaped heads and hairs at the base of their thorax. 



One of the tell-tale signs of carpenter ants is their size. Carpenter ants are very large. They aren’t your typical tiny ant. Carpenter ants measure between ½ and ⅝ of an inch.

Carpenter ants get their name because they build nests in wood. They use their strong mandibles to chew tunnels into wooden structures. As they make pathways for themselves and their family members, they leave behind small piles of debris that look like sawdust. This is one of the most obvious signs of carpenter ant damage. You may also notice small holes on the surface of the wood in or around your home. 

In short, yes carpenter ants are destructive. Carpenter ants cause structural damage to residential and commercial properties, wooden decks and other structures that cost owners thousands of dollars to repair. What’s even worse is that most homeowners insurance policies do not cover damages caused by pests. That means the repair costs will come directly out of your pocket.

To prevent carpenter ants, periodically inspect your home’s wood framing and siding, especially the portions that are near the ground or foundation. Seal gaps that lead into your home. Fill areas where pipes and other utility services enter your home and make sure all weather stripping is in good repair around doors and windows. It may go without saying but fix all leaks, and replace /dispose of any wet or damaged wood around your home.

In addition, store firewood piles away from your home, garage or utility buildings. Trim tree branches so they can’t touch your home’s exterior walls or roof. You should also remove decaying tree stumps and properly dispose of yard trash. If you have wood siding, maintain at least 6 inches between it and the soil. This prevents the siding from drawing moisture from the ground and giving ants another access point.

Even with these measures, you may still encounter carpenter ants. It is important to keep in mind that spotting one carpenter ant doesn’t mean your home is infested. But if you see one, there are usually more close behind. 

Carpenter ants send out a scout from the colony to forage for food sources. If food is plentiful and the threats seem minimal, the workers will move in. Workers will begin to tunnel your home’s wood into a nest for their new colony. 



Before the carpenter ant that you saw has a chance to send the all-clear message to his friends, you need to act fast. It’s best to contact a pest control expert who has experience in controlling carpenter ant populations, like the experts at Superior Spray Service. We’ve been voted Best Pest Control Company in Central Florida for numerous years in a row and we’d love to show you why.

If you see chewed, tunneled or damaged wood in or around your home, contact an expert immediately. Carpenter ants are crafty pests, they can enter your home by gnawing through wood materials, or by liberating any minuscule opening they can find. From the tiniest of cracks, to the highest opened window, anything can be a point of entry for a carpenter ant. Once they have made your home their new nest, they will need to be eradicated by a professional.

For carpenter ant infestations in Central and Northwest Florida including Lakeland, Orlando, Winter Haven, Tampa, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Milton and Pensacola contact us immediately. Reach out online or call (863) 682-0700 before carpenter ants have a chance to damage your home.