Carpenter 🐜 Ants

During the day today, I encountered as many as eight larger, dark-colored ants inside the house. By the time I found the last one, I was worried about an invading army and a memory from my own adolescence surfaced. My parents were having some work done on the roof, probably a new layer of shingles, when the roofers discovered a thriving colony, or six, of carpenter ants. They were a living bridge moving large numbers from tree to house and back again via the roof. My mother and one of the roofers killed millions of them, wielding cans of raid, while others swept up the dead bodies.

Carpenter ants can destroy a structure, they eat away at wood, leaving supports weakened. It allows buildings to crumble. I do not want carpenter ants in my house. So I dragged out the bug spray and did the entire perimeter of the house on the ground. I sprayed a significant amount around the front yard tree, and called a tree service for an estimate for pruning and another for removal. 😒

I hate to take down the 🌳, not only because it lends so much to our property, but it is likely to cost a pretty penny. However, the tree has lost branches, it has some hollow knots, and it may have a carpenter ant problem. I’ll let the experts tell me more, but I hope they are just big sugar 🐜 and not dangerous to the integrity of the house.

My parents were very helpful and advised me to examine the next ant’s mouth to know if it is a carpenter variety. They are talking about saw like teeth, but I can’t help but imagine a tool belt with a hammer and saw. I guess I have no inclination to act as a dental consultant to an ant, but the next one I see I’ll ask it to open wide.

Do ants have tongues?