You may have occasionally found yourself wondering how and when carpenter ants actually mate, which is a fascinating process for what can be such a destructive pest. Within each colony, there exists a very small amount of winged male and female carpenter ants. These carpenter ants do very little to now work and solely exist to mate and keep the species thriving. In the mid to late spring months, winged males and females will take what is known as a nuptial flight, which sees them leaving the colony and mating in the air.
The nuptial flight serves the purpose of impregnating what will soon be a new queen carpenter ant. Once the male finished impregnating the female, he dies, by which the newly impregnated female will shed her wings and forage for a wood structure to burrow in and seal behind her. Once inside of her new home, she will excavate a very small chamber and lay her eggs. After a period of time, the eggs hatch and a new colony with members of each variety will start the process of creating a carpenter ant civilization within the structure.
It is guaranteed that the nuptial flight for a colony will occur in the late spring months each year. This process occurs over multiple colonies in any given region and can even be seen with the naked eye if you are lucky enough to walk upon a nuptial flight in progress. Although the process is beneficial to the ants, this is not always a good sight to behold for nearby homeowners, as this means a new generation of carpenter ants are in the making. To prevent pregnant queens from choosing the insides of your home or yard to start a new generation, it is important to have regular pest control inspections to apply applicable treatment products to prevent areas from becoming infested.
The nuptial flight of the carpenter ant is a dance of sorts that occurs in mid-air during the mid to late spring of each year. This process sees a future queen termite become impregnated with a new colony of carpenter ants. To prevent foraging queens from choosing areas inside of your home or yard from becoming the new site of a colony, have regular inspections from a trusted ant exterminator Toronto company a few times per year. Although it takes a large colony to cause severe damage, it is best to have the potential for your home to be a colony hotspot eliminated.
