Month: October 2024

Restaurants have a hefty responsibility for maintaining clean, pest-free, safe conditions to protect employees and customers alike. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 48 million Americans get sick with foodborne illnesses yearly. Among them, more than 100,000 become so ill they have to be hospitalized.

Beyond the health risks that pests introduce into an environment, infestations can also harm a restaurant’s reputation and, ultimately, its bottom line. Effective restaurant pest control strategies take a multifaceted approach — and that’s exactly what integrated pest management offers.  

Introduction to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Restaurants 

Integrated pest management (IPM) offers food service establishments a comprehensive approach to maintaining a pest-free environment while minimizing chemical use. It relies on the least toxic methods possible to achieve results while focusing on prevention. Pest prevention in restaurants is among the most economical options to keep an establishment free of rodents, insects, and other pests.

What Is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)? 

IPM is not a single solution but a group of science-based actions widely used as an environmentally sensitive approach to pest management. It takes a broad, holistic view that is customized to each unique property and situation. When you implement IPM, you use multiple principles to achieve optimal pest control while reducing the use of pesticides.  

In a 2009 study comparing traditional pesticide-only based control and IPM, the results overwhelmingly supported the efficacy of IPM. Not only did it offer significant reductions in pests, but it also resulted in improvements in long-term success. 

Importance of IPM for Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance 

IPM empowers restaurant owners and requires a proactive approach that helps build a company culture that is rooted in food safety. This proactive approach not only reduces the need to rely on chemicals, but also saves money and the restaurant’s valuable reputation. It addresses conditions in and around the property, including in food storage, prep, and serving areas, to keep pests out altogether. In turn, this can save restaurants from facing negative results during inspections or the fallout that infestations cause with customers. 

Core Principles of IPM for Restaurants 

Chemical treatments have a valid place in pest control. However, in the past, they were the frontline treatment option and often used as a one-size-fits-all option. As a result, beneficial insects were harmed, pesticide-resistance turned into a real problem, and humans were exposed to potentially serious health risks from toxin exposure.

With IPM, chemical treatments are more of a last-resort option, with an increased focus on sanitation, exclusion, monitoring, and other preventative steps. Catseye Pest Control has helped numerous businesses maintain pest-free kitchens and establishments using core IPM principles, including the following:  

Prevention First: Sanitation and Hygiene Practices 

The restaurant industry is highly regulated with strict standards regarding sanitation and hygiene. Stringent food storage, packaging, and handling standards are critical to minimize the risk of food-borne illnesses. As a bonus, maintaining these high standards can be part of your first line of defense against pests as part of a rigorous IPM program.  

Pests move indoors in search of shelter and food. By practicing excellent sanitation in all areas of the restaurant, you remove potential food sources, making the premises less attractive to scavenging pests.  

Monitoring and Inspection 

Regular inspections and monitoring the restaurant for pests is an essential part of prevention. These practices allow you to identify specific areas that may be vulnerable to pest intrusions. They also make it possible to ensure your preventative measures are working by helping catch pest infestations early before they become large-scale issues. Additionally, this step allows you to ensure pests are correctly identified to determine the best pest management treatments that are necessary for control.

Exclusion: Keeping Pests Out 

Exclusion offers chemical-free protection by sealing off potential entry points. For example, many pests can slip in through small gaps and cracks in foundations, around windows and doors, and around utility lines that pass from outside-in. This entails covering vents with screening, repairing any gaps and cracks, and keeping back doors and loading dock entryways closed. When you’re trying to keep pests out, it’s also important to thoroughly inspect deliveries to make sure there aren’t any pests hitchhiking a ride inside. Common exclusion practices for restaurants include: installing door sweeps, sealing pipe voids and wire chases, sealing gaps where the floor meets the wall molding, and looking at the exterior for common entry points. Sometimes these entry points can be identified by the presence of sebum staining (a brown/grey stain on a floor, wire, or pipe caused by the oils secreted from a mammal‘s skin after frequent and/or sustained traffic). 

Non-Chemical Pest Control Methods 

Prevention is the first line of defense. However, even the best laid plans can go awry. Many pests are clever, curious, and adaptable. If one breaks through, having an arsenal of non-chemical restaurant pest control strategies in place can help you regain control. That’s one of the many ways IPM in food service shines. 

Mechanical Controls 

Exclusion is a powerful form of mechanical control. Installing barriers, setting traps to catch and physically remove pests, and sealing openings can keep pests out. In some instances, you might also consider installing long-term, permanent barriers like Cat-Guard Commercial Exclusion Systems, which offer ongoing, targeted protection for vulnerable areas. 

Biological Controls 

Biological controls introduce pests’ natural enemies into the environment to control their population. For example, you might implement bioremediation at all drains, beverage lines, and other areas. Doing so introduces beneficial bacteria that consumes organic materials that would otherwise be a feast for scavenging critters or breeding flies.

Importance of Minimizing Chemical Use 

Chemicals have an important role to play in pest control, and they likely always will. However, using sprays and other pesticides can inadvertently contaminate stored food and preparation surfaces when it isn’t handled properly. It could also introduce harmful chemicals into the environment and pose a health risk to employees and patrons.  

Over time, pests can develop pesticide resistance if chemical control is overused. That’s why it’s essential to work with professionals who can ensure that the right treatments are used to target the specific pests involved. Pros also have training and equipment to make sure everyone stays safe in the process. 

Developing a Long-Term Pest Management Plan 

IPM is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires careful evaluation of the risks and an assessment of the precise measures needed to maintain a pest-free restaurant. For best results, restaurants should partner with an experienced pest control company and routinely review the effectiveness of the plans they have in place.  

Collaboration with Professional Pest Control Services 

This will be a long-term partnership, so approach it with care. Select a pest control company with a proven track record and ample training resources to help establish and continue your restaurant’s IPM program. Professionals will inspect the restaurant, assess the risks, and help create an ongoing plan to make sure the property remains pest-free.  

Regular Reviews and Updates to IPM Strategies 

Effective IPM programs often change over time. This holistic approach should shift and adapt as the restaurant’s needs and risks change over time. With ongoing monitoring, regular reviews, and collaboration with a reputable pest control company, updating IPM strategies will become a seamless part of the routine.  

Regulatory Considerations for Restaurant Pest Control 

Violating health codes can be costly. A single pest infestation could lead to hefty fines, damage to the restaurant’s reputation and a resulting loss of business, and even potential shutdowns. With IPM’s diligent focus on prevention, monitoring, and inspections, restaurants stand firmly in a position of power. 

Ensuring Compliance with Health Codes 

When health inspectors visit a restaurant, they inspect it for several potential hazards and violations. They assess food storage, employees’ hygiene practices, and food preparation methods. Additionally, about 20 percent of the report is dedicated to pest control, making it an essential area for restaurant owners to focus on and manage.

Documentation and Reporting for Health Inspections 

Another critical element of implementing an effective IPM program includes maintaining detailed records. They should include information about any pest sightings and control measures. Records should reflect what controls were used and how they may have been adjusted over time. These documents should also reflect when pest management professionals were onsite and provide data that documents all the efforts made to use non-chemical measures. 

Contact Catseye Pest Control for Help Developing Your IPM Plan 

Catseye has decades of experience in providing commercial pest control and partnering with restaurants throughout the region. We are dedicated to using IPM in our own practice and can guide you in implementing effective measures to protect your business, employees, and customers. Contact Catseye today to learn more or to schedule a free inspection to get started.  

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With their fluffy tails and curious antics, squirrels can be a lot of fun to watch as they scamper around outdoors. However, these furry critters can be more than just an entertaining nuisance — they can do some very real damage. From stealing all the seed from bird feeders to gnawing on wires, roof vents, and insulation, squirrels can wreak havoc on your property.  

Learning about the foods that attract squirrels and the typical squirrel diet can help you better protect your garden, landscaping, and home from these frisky invaders.  

What Do Squirrels Eat in the Wild? 

If you’re like many people, you might associate squirrels mostly with nuts and seeds. Although they do collect nuts and store them away for cold weather months, the squirrel diet is more diverse than you may realize. These fluffy rodents are what’s known as opportunistic eaters that consume a mix of plants and other foods they can access easily. 

Natural Food Sources for Squirrels 

Squirrels do consume plenty of seeds, nuts, tree flowers, buds, mushrooms, and other plant-based foods. However, the preferred diet varies by species: 

Gray Squirrels 

• Acorns 
• Berries 
• Maple seeds 
• Insects 

Red Squirrels 

• Black walnuts 
• Pine cones 
• Other seeds/nuts 

Flying Squirrels 

• Acorns 
• Seeds 
• Nuts 
• Small mammals, such as mice and other squirrels 

Seasonal Changes in Squirrel Diet 

In the wild, squirrels’ food sources vary greatly with the seasons. That’s why you may see them collecting nuts like walnuts and acorns and storing them for their food supply during the winter months. During spring, summer, and even early fall, squirrels often eat insects, other small animals, fruits, and vegetables, including apples, tomatoes, apricots, oranges, berries, avocados, and succulents. During winter, they typically munch on their stored stashes of nuts and seeds, the buds and bark of conifer trees, fungi, and deciduous tree seeds. 

How Squirrels’ Diet Leads Them into Yards and Gardens 

Squirrels are opportunists that will eat nearly anything they can find that contains nutrition. If your yard or garden contains tantalizingly delicious options, these items will attract them to your property. Once there, they will likely do more than just nosh on a quick meal. They can do real damage to gardens, landscaping, and buildings as they frolic and munch. 

Foods That Attract Squirrels 

If you have a garden, fruit trees, or bird feeders, you are almost certain to attract some bushy-tailed friends to your property. Even without obvious food sources, flower bulbs, green plants, and insects could also draw them nearby. 

Potential Damage Caused by Squirrel Feeding Behavior 

As squirrels forage across your property, they can damage trees, including ornamental fruit trees. They also tend to damage grass as they establish their hiding spots, and chowing through bird seed sometimes scares the actual birds away.  

Even more problematic, however, is their gnawing habit. Like all rodents, squirrels’ teeth continually grow. To manage this growth, they gnaw on just about anything, including wiring, structural elements, roofing, and more. They could also gain entrance to buildings, often after chewing through siding. Once inside, they may store their food and build their nests to raise their young. Additionally, squirrels can be hosts to parasites like ticks and fleas and introduce these pests into your living spaces. 

Why You Should Avoid Feeding Squirrels 

Although many people enjoy feeding squirrels and other wildlife, you could be doing more harm than good. Not only could you be encouraging these cute but destructive critters to move in and call your property home, but you could also be inadvertently harming them.  

The Risks of Encouraging Unwanted Behavior 

Squirrels can carry diseases and destroy your property. Encouraging them to stick around increases the odds of a human-squirrel encounter or an encounter with squirrel-borne pathogens. It also may inadvertently encourage them to do more damage to buildings and other parts of the property that they call home. 

Impact on Squirrel Behavior and Health 

Some foods, including peanuts and corn, don’t offer much nutritional benefit to squirrels. Other human foods, which squirrels will still eat, can weaken them or cause them to become sick. Another issue is the risk of causing them to become reliant on you as their food supply. If they lose their natural instincts to forage and gather food, they may struggle to find other food sources and suffer or even die if you stop feeding them. 

Preventing Squirrel Access to Food Around Your Home 

Deterring squirrels and preventing them from gaining a steady food supply in or around your home can save you from future headaches. Taking a proactive approach will empower you, keep your property and its inhabitants safer, and reduce the risk of harmful encounters.  

Securing Outdoor Food Sources 

Gardens and fruit trees can be a plentiful food source for these scampering critters. Consider installing cages or wire mesh to protect crops and plants. Pick up fallen fruit as soon as possible and remove bird feeders from close proximity to your home. You might also try natural squirrel repellents like hot sauce or placing thorny plants near those you want to protect to try to keep squirrels away. 

Physical Barriers to Keep Squirrels Out 

Protecting your property requires a comprehensive approach. Sealing entry points around outbuildings and your home, adding screens to chimneys and vents, and trimming tree branches at least eight feet from the roof can help. You might also consider installing Cat-Guard Wildlife Exclusion Systems, which are permanent, rigid barriers that offer safe, chemical-free protection for vulnerable structures. 

Professional Pest Control Solutions for Squirrel Problems 

If restricting food access, adding physical barriers, and implementing other DIY measures fail to remedy the situation, it’s time to call in the professionals. A DIY approach can often end up costing more than it’s worth along with soaking up lots of time and even potentially posing a danger. 

Long-Term Squirrel Management Strategies 

Long-term success requires a multi-faceted approach. Professionals have the expertise necessary to not only remove squirrels from your home, but also assess the situation and provide preventative recommendations. If squirrels get inside, you will also need thorough cleaning and disinfection, which technicians can provide after ensuring all wildlife has been evicted.  

For Assistance with Squirrels, Contact Catseye Pest Control 

Understanding the natural diet of squirrels and the types of foods that attract them is only the beginning. Stop feeding squirrels in your backyard and take the necessary steps to protect your home, property, and health. Contact Catseye today to learn more about our professional services or to schedule a free inspection to get started.  

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In keeping with our Halloween tradition of meeting bugs dressed in orange and black, this week we visit two beautiful and perhaps deadly denizens of milkweed, small and large milkweed bugs. These harlequin rascals were super abundant on my butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, throughout summer and fall. Many insects that consume milkweed, such as monarch butterfly and milkweed tussock moth caterpillars, milkweed leaf beetles, and milkweed longhorned beetles we met in previous episodes, display vivid patterns of orange or red and black. Some, like monarch and tussock moth caterpillars, obtain noxious plant chemicals called cardiac glycosides, heart poisons that are sequestered in their bodies after consuming milkweed leaves. These poisons are distasteful to a wide range of predators and thwart attempted acts of predation by visually gifted hunters, including birds and praying mantises. The phenomenon of developing an easily recognizable color pattern by two or more nasty-tasting insects that share one or more common predators, is called Müllerian mimicry, so named for the visionary German naturalist Fritz Müller.

However, the milkweed leaf beetle (not to be confused with today’s subject, the milkweed bug) does not store noxious chemicals from the milkweed. Its scam is to wear orange and black, thereby dissuading enlightened predators from an attack once they have learned that “orange and black” spells “nasty meal.”  This type of mimicry, in which warning colors of a distasteful species like the monarch butterfly are copied by a tasty mimic like the milkweed leaf beetle, is called Batesian mimicry. The great English naturalist Henry Bates first described this form of mimicry while studying butterflies in Brazilian rainforests.

Whether dashing about on the ground or hiding within a curled seedpod, this mating pair of small milkweed bugs are inseparable despite some impatient foot tapping by the female.

Two other charter members of the Müllerian mimicry gang are small and large milkweed bugs, for they too store nocent cardiac glycosides after consuming the milkweed plants that serve as their source of food. This year was spectacular for milkweed bugs and my butterfly weeds generated hundreds. In spring and early summer, milkweeds thrived and produced early clusters of seeds mostly devoid of hungry milkweed bugs. Early in summer, only a few small milkweed bugs could be seen sneaking around the developing seed heads. However, by late summer and early autumn my milkweeds were colonized by teeming legions of beautiful large milkweed bugs. Where did the bugs come from and why did they suddenly appear well into the growing season?

Watch as recently hatched milkweed bug nymphs hiding in a seedpod develop into nymphs with ever-expanding wing buds, which finally transform into wings fit to power milkweed bugs to their southern wintering grounds.

Most people don’t realize that large milkweed bugs, like monarch butterflies, undergo annual migrations throughout much of the range of milkweeds, from southern states and Mexico where they spend the winter, to northern states and southern Canada where they spend the summer. Large milkweed bugs cannot survive winter’s chill in northern climes. Their annual migration south is triggered by shortening day length, cooling temperatures, and declining quality of milkweed plants as food. Titers of a glandular product called juvenile hormone signal the milkweed bug’s ovaries to take a “time-out”, and trigger flight behavior that transports the milkweed bug to warm southern lands where milkweeds grow. Once the southward migration is complete, juvenile hormone levels rise, ovaries are switched on, and reproduction resumes. In spring, the migratory pattern reverses and generations of large milkweed bugs leap-frog their way northward to colonize milkweeds as far north as Canada. Small milkweed bugs are more of the ‘we don’t like to travel much’ kind of an insect, and as such they eschew annual long distance migrations and stick around near home.  

As members of the seed bug clan, milkweed bugs insert a long slender beak into the ripening seeds within the developing pod. After injecting digestive enzymes into the seed, they suck liquefied food through the straw-like beak into their gut where nutrients will be used for growth, development, and reproduction. During her lifetime, the female large milkweed bug may lay up to 2,000 eggs. Small reddish-orange and black nymphs hatch from the eggs and eat seeds of milkweed. As nymphs grow and develop, small black wing buds become clearly visible on the body segments just behind the head. These wing buds enlarge as the insect feeds and molts, until the final transformation to the adult stage when wings are fully formed and ready for flight. With a killing frost on the pumpkins just around the corner, the last few nymphs remaining on my milkweed better hurry and earn their wings to begin their trek south before winter’s chill brings an end to their milkweed revelry.

A large milkweed bug grooms its antenna with its forelegs. The business end of the milkweed bug is its tubular beak. At rest it is stored beneath the body. To access nutrients, the needle-like mouthparts probe through the husk of the seed head to reach nutrient rich seeds within.

Bug of the Week hopes you are getting ready for a spooky and fun-filled Halloween!

Acknowledgements

The wonderful reference “The Pleasures of Entomology” by Howard Ensign Evans was used as a resource for this episode. “Secret weapons” by Thomas Eisner, Maria Eisner, and Melody Siegler; “Mantids and milkweed bugs: efficacy of aposematic coloration against invertebrate predators” by May Berenbaum and E. Miliczky; and “The Small Milkweed Bug, Lygaeus kalmii (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae): Milkweed Specialist or Opportunist?” by Al Wheeler, Jr., provided valuable insights into the mysterious ways of this week’s stars.

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A couple of weeks ago, I received an interesting picture, short video, and inquiry from a naturalist of a beautiful large beetle cavorting on her backyard deck in Sparks, Maryland. My friend, Stephanie, wondered if I knew the identity of this gorgeous female beetle. Indeed, I do know and hold in high esteem the rainbow dung beetle, the loveliest creature on earth to repurpose dung. Here’s a throwback to a story about Phanaeus vindex I did a few years ago.

Who’s that beetle strolling on the deck? None other than the beautiful rainbow dung beetle, recycler of dung. Video by Stephanie Dudek

While sitting in traffic on the Washington Beltway amidst the noise and pollution of rush hour traffic, I sometimes wonder about sights, sounds, and smells back in the day when horses and buggies transported folks through bucolic landscapes near the nation’s capitol. On a recent adventure to the great Kissimmee prairie in central Florida, I had the good fortune to witness a truly remarkable event that opened a window to times past when horses, mules, and oxen were the primary sources of transportation. While walking along a well-used bridle path and gingerly dodging piles of horse manure, I was delighted to see a beautiful beetle emerge from the soil, grapple with a clod of dung, and disappear with its prize beneath the earth. This creature, the rainbow dung beetle, is a relative of other scarabs such as the Hercules beetle we met in previous episodes. However, this species specializes in using dung as the source of food for its young. Shortly after a horse or other large animal relieves itself, male and female dung beetles arrive at the scene and cooperate in excavating burrows in the earth near the deposit. Portions of the dung are pushed and pulled into subterranean chambers were the female deposits eggs. After a few days, eggs hatch and the small larvae consume the nutrient rich dung. When their development is complete, the larvae form pupal chambers and later emerge from their galleries to seek fresh patties of dung for babes of their own.

On a bridal trail in central Florida, horses make a lot of dung. Watch as a male rainbow dung beetle emerges from a subterranean burrow where his mate awaits. After finding a pile of horse dung nearby, he sizes it up, gets in position, and uses his powerful legs and super strong horn to drive the dung back to the burrow. After entering the burrow, he pulls the dung underground where his bride will deposit eggs on the dung. Beetle grubs that hatch from these eggs will devour the dung as they grow into rather large larvae. After pupating, newly minted adult beetles will emerge and continue their work ridding the world of dung.

Dung beetles are generally considered highly beneficial by virtue of their ability to clean up after messy mammals. This highly desirable ecosystem service was clearly demonstrated in Australia. During colonial times, cattle were imported down under and after decades thousands of tons of dung accumulated, despoiling vast acreages of pasture and providing breeding sites for flies and parasitic worms. In a series of carefully designed programs, dung beetles were collected from several countries in Europe and Africa and raised in Australian quarantine facilities to ensure that no harmful hitch-hikers accompanied them.  After passing muster, the dung beetles were raised and released into the landscape to do what they do best – recycle dung. More than a million beetles representing some 20 species have been released for clean-up duty and the program is considered a resounding success.

Some good news, you do not need to visit Florida or Australia to discover dung beetles. They are relatively common in Maryland and were well known even in colonial times. One fascinating story of dung beetles in Maryland and their antics comes from the Callister papers written during the 1600’s. An excerpt from this account follows.

“A sort of Beetle; Their place of Rendezvous is always where fresh dung drops, and hundreds or two of them. One can hardly ease himself & turn about but he may see a hundred or more of ‘em roll themselves in the midst of it, & before tho there was not one to be seen before, & by the time he has button’d his breeches, turn again & is all gone; they join by pairs one lays an egg in the Dung & rolls it up into a ball the size of a marble & then another joins & sets to rolling it away like two sailors rolling a [Lhd.] of Tobacco one always before pulling along the other behind shoving with his hind feet, & thus they roll & scatter the dung about till they find a proper place where they dig a hole 2 or 3 foot in the Ground, which  may serve to manure the Ground, from whence the young one is produced in its proper time. Thus, our Air is preserved sweet in the summer, from the Infection of Dungs.”  

So, Stephanie and all the others whose air has been preserved by dung beetles, enjoy your good fortune, fresh air, and the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful creature.  

 Acknowledgements

 We thank Stephanie Dudek for images and video that provided the inspiration for this episode and Dr. Ellen Lawler for sharing the remarkable story of colonial dung beetles. Dr. Paula Shrewsbury took a great shot of a male rainbow dung beetle. The wonderful reference “Introduced Dung Beetles in Australia 1967-2007: current status and future directions” by Penny Edwards was also use in preparation of this week’s episode.

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Like termites, carpenter ants are often considered “silent destroyers.” However, these pests don’t actually eat wood. Instead, they tunnel through it to build their extensive network of colonies and nests. In the broader ecosystem, they provide a beneficial service by hastening the decomposition of dead and decaying trees. When they invade manmade structures, however, they can spell disaster.  

Catseye Pest Control has decades of experience helping properties of all types eliminate these destructive pests. Explore the details you need to know to identify carpenter ants, including signs of an infestation, and get tips for getting rid of them for good.  

Introduction to Carpenter Ants 

Carpenter ants are among the largest of the 600 species of ants found in the United States. They are found throughout the entire country and are particularly common in the North, where the cool, damp environment allows them to thrive. They are known as polymorphic insects because their colonies are made up of workers that vary in size, typically with just a single wingless queen. 

Importance of Proper Identification to Prevent Damage 

Carpenter ants cost property owners millions of dollars in repairs and control measures. If you don’t know how to distinguish these ants from their less destructive counterparts, you could easily brush off an ant sighting and potentially miss your opportunity to act quickly to contain the problem. Properly identifying carpenter ants inside homes, buildings, and other structures is essential to achieving control and halting potentially widespread damage. 

Size, Color, and Distinguishing Features of Carpenter Ants 

Various species of carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) call the U.S. home. In New England, and in most of the Northeastern part of the country, Camponotus pennsylvanicus, with its large, shiny, black body, is the most common. You may also spot carpenter ants that sport a reddish-brown midsection. 

Color and size aren’t always reliable indicators because carpenter ant workers can vary in size. They may be black or red and black, with bodies typically reaching 3/8 to 1/2 inch in length. Queens often grow up to one inch long. 

One of the most distinguishing features is the carpenter ant’s body. These ants have a defined waist with a single petiole or node. If you look at a carpenter ant from the side, you will notice that the area behind their head, called the thorax, is evenly rounded. 

Carpenter Ants vs. Termites 

Late spring through early summer, mature males and females sprout wings and locate their mates. They mate in midair before the queen sheds her wings and finds a chamber to lay her eggs and build the nest. Winged carpenter ants look remarkably like winged termites. However, the two have distinct differences that you can use to differentiate them for proper identification. 

Key Differences in Appearance 

To figure out whether you are looking at a winged termite or a carpenter ant, consider three defining characteristics.

• Antennae: Termites have straight antennae, while carpenter ants feature segmented, elbowed antennae. 
• Waist: Termites have a relatively undefined, broad waist. Carpenter ants have a narrow, defined waist.  
• Wings: Both insects have two sets of wings. Termites’ wings are relatively the same shape and size, while carpenter ants have wings that are larger in front and smaller in the rear.  

Differences in Behavior and Nesting 

Both termites and carpenter ants love wood and are attracted to wood and moisture. However, what they do with that wood is another very telling differentiating factor. Termites consume wood and other cellulose-based products — consuming up to 2 percent of their body weight each day.  

In contrast, carpenter ants excavate the wood to create chambers to lay eggs and raise their young. Called “galleries,” these excavated areas are cleanly excavated and have smooth walls.

Common Places to Find Carpenter Ants 

Carpenter ants often seek wet or damaged wood, which allows them to easily begin their work of digging in to create nests. Unlike termites, they don’t randomly continue tunneling through wood. Instead, the damage is created as they expand their colonies and nesting galleries. Outdoors, the potential damage may not be an issue. Indoors as well as when they colonize structural elements outside, it can be problematic.  

Where Carpenter Ants Nest Indoors 

These destructive pests often enter buildings in various ways. They can climb in through any cracks and openings around windows or doors. They also crawl in through holes where utility lines and wires run from outside to the inside and along tree branches and shrub limbs. They can nest inside walls, in voids around bathtubs and sinks, under roofs, inside chimneys, and in crawl spaces. 

Outdoor Habitats 

Outside, carpenter ants nest in many types of wood. According to Mass Audobon, recent research shows that roughly 75 percent of carpenter ant nests are located inside dead trees. In this case, they play a beneficial role in the ecosystem as they break natural materials down. In addition to focusing on dead and decaying tree stumps and limbs, carpenter ants enjoy woodpiles, firewood, landscaping, and fence posts.

Signs of Carpenter Ant Infestation 

Knowing what these ants look like is only half the battle. Understanding the various signs that indicate a carpenter ant infestation is critical. When you know what to look for, you have better odds of catching an infestation early, which can help minimize damage and enhance control. Some signs of carpenter ant infestations include the following: 

Visible Ant Activity 

If you see live ants that are larger than normal, it may be worth investigating to determine where they are located. Carpenter ants often tunnel into wood with minimal signs of their presence. However, you might notice fragments of wood, piles of sawdust, or other debris outside of small openings in wood surfaces. 

Wood Damage  

Over time, the ants’ excavation within wooden structural elements can reduce the strength of those items. It can also invite further moisture damage, which also hastens softening of the wood and compromises structural integrity.

Early Infestation Prevention and Damage Control 

Left unnoticed, these silent excavators can create widespread damage to wooden structures. Catching infestations as early as possible is essential.  

Inspecting for Infestation 

The best course of action is to routinely perform a visual inspection of your home or building. Look for any small piles of sawdust or wood with tiny openings. 

Repairing Damaged Wood and Addressing Moisture Issues 

These pests need constant access to water. Therefore, when you get rid of standing water and eliminate moisture problems, you can effectively make your property less attractive. Likewise, because they are more likely to tunnel into already damaged wood, making prompt repairs of damaged wood can also be a tremendous help.  

When to Call a Professional 

You can try to resolve carpenter ant infestations on your own by using baits or targeted treatments as a DIY solution. However, if you notice signs of a serious infestation, you should call for professional help as soon as possible. Additionally, be aware that you may have both a main “parent” nest and one or more satellites that the ants can move between with ease. 

Recognizing the Severity of an Infestation 

In the earlier stages of infestations, the damage is relatively minimal. You might find one or two workers out and about as they search for food. Carpenter ants eat other insects, including live and dead insects. They also eat flowers, fruits, and household foods, particularly sweets. 

After the colony is established, you might find piles of what’s called frass, a mix of sawdust and insect parts. However, as the infestation proceeds, mature carpenter ants swarm, meaning they fly outside of the nest and appear on windows. With a severe infestation, you might notice warping of door or window frames, sloping floors, and sagging ceilings.

Professional Pest Control Solutions for Carpenter Ants 

Carpenter ant control can be more challenging than you might think. The odds are high that the damage could be extensive before the ants are noticed. Additionally, finding the nesting sites and effectively eliminating them is mission critical.  

Catseye’s carpenter ant treatment protocol involves a multifaceted treatment plan, starting with identifying the pests and locating the colony. Afterward, technicians inject materials into the nest and use bait treatments. Spot treatment and damage repair and clean-up help restore the property and your peace of mind.  

Contact Catseye Pest Control for Help with Carpenter Ants 

Catseye understands the challenges carpenter ants pose and the serious nature of the damage. We will partner with you to ensure we get rid of these pests once and for all with two treatments spaced 10 days apart. Contact Catseye Pest Control today to learn more about our services or to schedule an inspection to get started.  

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With the arrival of pumpkin patches and the Halloween season, it’s time to feature one pretty moth dressed in Halloween colors and one beautiful but dastardly invader, both with a fondness for Tree of Heaven (TOH).  First, let’s meet the ermine moth, Atteva aurea, and its larva known as ailanthus webworm. This southern moth made its way north with the arrival of a host plant, TOH from Asia. Many of you may be familiar with Betty Smith’s wonderful tale “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” This novel chronicles a young girl’s triumph over childhood hardships and poverty in a Brooklyn neighborhood. The tree that grows in Brooklyn is the irrepressible TOH, Ailanthus altissima, a stalwart thriving in the most dismal of urban environments. In Smith’s novel it serves as metaphor for the girl’s resilience in the face of adversity as she survives the tribulations of childhood. Tree of Heaven hails from Asia but was introduced in 1784 to a garden in Philadelphia. In the United States it now ranges from coast to coast and border to border. Several Canadian provinces have also been invaded by TOH. TOH is reviled as an invasive species throughout much of its range due to its ability to thrive in the worst of sites and to displace native vegetation. In addition to being the host of a drop-dead gorgeous giant silk moth, the Cynthia moth, its woody tissues, leaves, and seeds serve as food for nefarious invasive species including spotted lanternfly and brown marmorated stink bugs we met in previous episodes.

What does this segue have to do with ailanthus webworm? Here’s the story. Ranging from the rainforests in Central America to states in the southern US are trees in the plant family known as Simaroubaceae. In the wilds of Florida, glossy leaves of beautiful native Paradise trees, Simarouba glauca, serve as a food source for ailanthus webworm caterpillars. It just so happens that TOH is also a member of the Simaroubaceae. When TOH gained its Philadelphia freedom and moved south and west, it came into contact with other members of the Simaroubaceae. Ailanthus webworm took a liking to TOH and added ailanthus to its carte du jour. TOH now serves as fine dining for these snaky caterpillars that build silken webs on leaves of ailanthus in late summer and early autumn here in the DMV. In several northern states, ailanthus webworms appear late in the temperate growing season. Apparently, ailanthus webworm favors a southern climate. Winters in northern states are just a bit too chilly to support its survival. Like monarch butterflies, milkweed bugs, and fritillary butterflies we met before, the adult stage of ailanthus webworms, magnificent ermine moths, are vagabonds. Each year they migrate from winter redoubts in the south to reach TOH in northern states on which to lay eggs. In a warming world, some experts predict that ailanthus webworm will be able to survive in more northerly states, thereby expanding its range.

Small Tree of Heaven saplings can be shredded and killed by ailanthus webworm caterpillars. These snaky rascals writhe inside their webs. Ah, but the adult stage, a pretty ermine moth, pollinates wildflowers in summer and autumn. Although a bane to grape growers and a nuisance to others, prolonged, high-density infestations of lanternflies drain nutrients from Tree of Heaven. Some like these may be killed by spotted lanternflies, or from lethal teamwork by one native and one non-native herbivore.

In addition to ailanthus webworm, TOH is assaulted by its ancient acquaintance from Asia, the spotted lanternfly. Back in China, spotted lanternflies spent millions of years “learning” how to cope with TOH’s defenses and exploit nutritious phloem sap as a source of food. In late summer and autumn, hundreds, maybe even thousands of spotted lanternfly nymphs and adults can be found draining nutrients from the branches and trunks of TOH. With persistent infestations and vast numbers, lanternflies can be lethal to invasive TOH according to scientists at Penn State.  

With young TOH under siege from ailanthus webworm and established TOH assaulted by sap-sucking lanternflies, we might hold hope that these two herbivores may kill some or many TOH and help thwart the ecological impacts of TOH in our natural and managed ecosystems.

Acknowledgements

The interesting articles, “A review of the New World Atteva Walker moths (Yponomeutidae, Attevinae)” by Vitor O. Becker, “Spotted Lanternfly Frequently Asked Questions” by Heather Leach, and “Michigan insects in the garden – Season 2 Week 8: Ermine moths” by David Lowenstein were used as references for this episode.

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