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Carpenter ants are capable of causing damage to your home's structure |
May
28
2010
As a homeowner you’ve probably run into carpenter ants on your property. What you may not realize about these large black ants is that over time they can cause severe damage to your home’s structure. At Rose Pest Solutions we understand that, although they are considered more of a nuisance, carpenter ants are a detrimental pest that should not be allowed on your property let alone inside your home.
Carpenter ants are appropriately named as they are excavators of wood. While the common belief is that they eat the wood they are working in, carpenter ants actually create galleries and tunnels for nesting and will invade homes foraging for food. Their colonies are typically located away from the home they are invading, however they will establish satellite colonies in wall voids, insulation, and hollow doors and in sound wood. They are also attracted to areas where there is excess moisture such as beneath bathroom tiles, around tubs and sinks and leaking pipes.
Signs of Carpenter Ants
- Small piles of sawdust or “frass”
- Wood riddled with holes
- Spotting large black ants
- Swarming insects in the spring in or near your home
Any carpenter ant activity in your home poses a serious threat and should be prevented if at all possible. Because carpenter ants are attracted to wet or damaged wood you should never store firewood close to your house and eliminate any standing water on your property. Tree limbs and overhang are an ideal “bridge” for carpenter ants trying to enter your home and should be trimmed back. Sealing any cracks or gaps will also help prevent carpenter ant problems.
At Rose Pest Solutions we urge homeowners to be proactive in order to prevent costly repairs from carpenter ant damage and offer home pest control solutions that will help get rid of any existing carpenter ant problems as well as prevent future ones. For more information, please contact us.
