Carpenter ants are often called “nature’s demolition experts.” They aren’t as well known as their distant cousin, the termite, but they can do just as much damage to your home. These big ants can tunnel into wood, which over time can damage the structure. It is very important for the health of your house to learn how to spot, stop, and avoid carpenter ant infestations.
How to Find Carpenter Ants:
Finding the carpenter ants is the first thing that needs to be done to get rid of an invasion. Their worker ants are between 6 and 13 mm long, making them one of the biggest ant types. Some kinds can be reddish or brown, but most of them are black.
Carpenter ants have arms that are bent at the elbows and front wings that are bigger than their back wings. If you see ants of different sizes in the same colony, it’s likely that they are carpenter ants. The different sizes show the worker ants and the queen.
Seeing the Damage:
Carpenter ants dig holes in wood to make their homes, not to eat it. Over time, these nests can do a lot of damage to wooden buildings. These are some common signs of damage from carpenter ants:
Frass: Small piles of something that looks like sawdust that are found near nesting places.
Nocturnal Activity: Carpenter ants are most active at night, so you might hear rustling sounds at night in places where they live.
Visible Workers: You might have a problem with carpenter ants if you see big ants moving around your house, especially near wood.
Getting rid of an infestation:
It’s important to move quickly if you see carpenter ants or signs that they are working. Here’s how to get rid of an infestation:
Find the Nest: To take power, you need to find the nest. Follow ants that are exploring to find where they are getting in. Nests are often found in wood that is wet or broken.
Get rid of food sources. Sugary and protein-rich foods are what attract carpenter ants. To get rid of these possible food sources, keep your kitchen and eating area clean.
Seal Entry Points: To keep ants out, seal any cracks or holes in the base, walls, or roof of your home.
Get rid of plants that are in the way. Carpenter ants often use trees and bushes as paths to get into your home. To lower this risk, cut back plants that are close to your home.
How to Stop Carpenter Ant Problems:
It’s always better to avoid an outbreak than to deal with it once it happens. To keep carpenter ants away, do these things:
Control the moisture: Carpenter ants like wood that is wet. Fix any leaks or problems with water right away.
Regular Inspections: Check your home every so often, especially places that get wet often, like the bathroom and kitchen.
Wood piles: Keep your firewood away from your house if you have it. Carpenter ants can build their nests in firewood and get inside over time.
planting: Leave some space between your planting and the house so that ants don’t have a way to get in.
Professional Pest Control: Having professional pest checks done on a regular basis can help find problems early on and stop infestations before they happen.
Do It Yourself vs. Hiring a Professional:
You can try to get rid of carpenter ants on your own, but hiring a professional is usually the best idea. Professionals have the skills and tools to find nests, destroy them, and offer long-term ways to keep them from happening.
In conclusion, you should not be careless with carpenter ants. For homes, it’s important to know the signs, stop infestations, and avoid problems in the future. A professional pest control service can help you get rid of carpenter ants completely and effectively, whether you think they are already in your home or you just want to make sure they stay away.