Two shipping containers that arrived in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii from mainland United States have been discovered to be riddled with Black Carpenter Ants.
Crew alerted local pest control after discovering the insects in one of the containers of large oak timbers that arrived in from Tennessee. The contents were to be used for a dry dock project.
Crews quickly closed the doors on the containers, with the pest control personnel now fumigating the containers using Vikane, which is a common gas fumigate used to treat termites.
The ants were identified as Black carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus), which are a common pest on the mainland.
Growing up to half an inch longer than the ants currently living in Hawaii, these insects are interesting – you are able to hear them when they are around. When there is a large nest, the group can make a large crackling sound. They don’t feed on wood, but will bore their way through the wood to get to where they are going. The black carpenter ants are destructive.
The exact number of ants found is not known (who would want to count them!) but one of the shipping containers was housing an entire colony.
Who’s skin is crawling now?
EES Shipping can help to arrange your shipments to and from the United States. They would be (hopefully) minus colonies of ants. Get in touch with us now.
