Carpenter Ants Survive Cold Canada Winter And Is On The Rise

The red and black carpenter ants, which are the two most common carpenter ants in Canada, are on the rise after an unusually snowy winter, which has allowed them to survive, reports CBC News. They have their own type of “antifreeze” used when hibernating during the winter, and the deep snow served as insulation. All these carpenter ants that have survived the winter can now be seen scavenging for food and establishing new colonies.

Carpenter ants dig into wood and make a home where they lay eggs. They inhabit old decks posts, fences and railroad ties. Outdoors, they can be found in dead trunks of standing trees, stumps, logs or fallen logs. They eat both plant and animal matter; mainly feeding on other insects and small invertebrates and sweet body fluids from aphids.

Old houses and mature neighbourhoods are most at risk. However, these carpenter ants are also found taking over some new neighbourhoods. Steve Pelletier of Steve’s Pest Management says he has already responded to 220 calls for carpenter ants this year. He only had a total of 237 calls for carpenter ants in 2013.