An Encounter with Carpenter Ants (Camponotus spp.) FORMICIDAE in Dubai PART 2

Carpenter Ant workers appearing in different sizes

Carpenter Ant workers emerging from a gap on the pavement

A steady stream of Carpenter Ants in and out for the night

Carpenter Ant workers emerging from there date palm colony entrance point

Working night shift: an Ant worker moving out of the nest to forage

Time to get busy: a worker ant snapping its mandible as it exits its date palm lair

Carpenter ant workers moving on the pavement (video courtesy of Engr. Rey L. Corpuz of Kendah)

From exit holes on the trunk of the fire trees and date palms, to the inner chambers of the control boxes of the landscaping irrigation system and along  the edges of the concrete tile pathway, we have witnessed a steady stream of Carpenter Ant workers. These insects were dedicated to a long evening of foraging. On the other hand, we were engaged in monitoring their activity and tracing the extent of the advancement of the colony.

Biodynamics Notes (Part 2)

Carpenter Ants got their name from their habit of excavating nest galleries in wood. These galleries resemble the work of termites but these can be readily distinguished by the entirely clean, smooth and almost sandpapered appearance. 

Carpenter Ants outdoor nesting sites includes tree trunks, wood stumps, hollow logs, fence posts or other similar large pieces of wood. Wood that is moist or partially decayed is preferred but they can also burrow in sound wood. Inside structures, these ants are commonly found when water has leaked and soaked the surrounding wood.  

Carpenter Ants do not consume wood as food. They cut out galleries in the wood grain and prefer to follow the softer portions of the wood.  They chew off tiny bits of the wood and deposit them outside the nest. The appearance of "sawdust-like" piles is a key indicator of the location of the colony. 

They feed on a wide variety of foods including dead insects. A favorite food item is the sweet honeydew produced by homopterans (aphids, mealybugs, and scales). The wide variety of the Carpenter Ants diet have made it difficult to formulate a Carpenter Ant bait! (The search is still ongoing.)

In terms of colony build-up, it is important to highlight that most species of Carpenter Ants have their colonies "ruled" by only 1 fertilized queen. The growing and mature colonies will have both a parent (main) colony and one or more satellite colonies. The parent colony is mostly located outdoors, associated with moist wood and with a constant moisture source. In cases when the parent colony is found indoors, this is mainly due to water leak (plumbing) issues and on very moist, poorly ventilated crawl spaces. The satellite colonies will have workers, older larvae, pupae and a few winged reproductives without eggs. These can be located inside or outside an infested building and present on wall voids. 

Carpenter ants are highly mobile and can move their colony to a more suitable location if the current conditions become intolerable. The primary sites may be reoccupied by a satellite colony after encountering control treatments. 

IPM Tips for Carpenter Ants

1. Inspect, Inspect, Inspect. Conduct careful inspection to determine if the colony nesting indoor or outdoors is a parent colony or a satellite colony. 

2. Locate the main nest and conduct targeted pesticide application using approved pesticides (WP, SC and Microencapsulated products). ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW LABEL INSTRUCTIONS.

3. Focus treatment efforts on the nest(s). Sporadic surface spray treatment which only hits the visible foraging ant workers will only yield minimal results. A mature colony can immediately redeploy more workers!

4. Be PATIENT and PERSISTENT in your monitoring and treatment applications. Remember we are in combat against not just the parent colony but also with its support satellite colonies and the hundreds of thousands of ant workers population.

6. Inside structures, check for water leaks and other moisture sources, repair damaged plumbing.  If possible and feasible, remove and replace water-soaked wood to deter colony establishment indoors.

7. Indoors, sealing up wall, baseboard and door frame gaps can deter ant movement inside.  

8. For large community projects, seek the support of the Facility/Community Management and the Landscape service provider. This should be a joint effort, as the main nesting sites of Carpenter Ants are located on the outdoor landscape areas and inside the ornamental trees.   

 

It was truly an awesome adventure to observe the movement of Carpenter Ant workers during their night shift.   

   

Awesome creatures! Awesome CREATOR! 

Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways and be wise, Without having a chief, officer, or ruler, she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. (Proverbs 6: 6-8, ESV)