Do you know how to spot a carpenter ant infestation in your home? Carpenter Ants are notorious for destroying wood. These ants have a great affinity for moist wood. Their control merits utmost importance and treating their infestation at the earliest can save a lot of trouble at a later stage. If left unattended, carpenter ant colonies may wreak havoc on sound wood and may compromise the structural safety of a building. If big black ants are frequently roaming the house, one must immediately seek professional help as they may jeopardize the safety of the building.
Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation
Carpenter ants can easily be distinguished from other ants even by a layman due to their size and color. They are big and mostly black. Large black ants tripping the house regularly shall raise eyebrows. Noticing these ants frequently sufficiently establishes that the house is under invasive infestation.
Carpenter ants don’t consume wood as food, but as they are comfort seekers, they tend to build their nests in the softer most portion of the wood grain, they keep grinding in the pursuit of the best. The wood shavings are often found near the furniture, and wooden work in your house is the result of sheer hard work carried out by these ants.
Your House may be Under Infestation If You
1. Frequently spot large black ants in your house.
2. Come across finely trimmed wood shavings or sawdust in proximity to your wooden furniture, window sills, or baseboards.
3. See a distinct carpenter ant passage in your backyard or a lawn. Carpenter ants literally go an extra mile to stealthily bring food to their nests.
4. See black ants tripping regularly from your ceilings and wall crevices or floor cracks.
5. Frequently hear nibbling noises on your room walls. Carpenter ants make constant noise as they dig deep into the woodwork to create nests.
6. Discover a pile of shed wings of ants near likely entry points.
Stealthiness of Carpenter Ants
These types of ants don’t give away all the surprise by showing up in large numbers at a particular place; rather they operate in groups, that is, mostly in the early morning or late at night. Just because you don’t see their enough presence, it never means they have left your house as the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
The ants normally venture for food in sunny and dry weather but when it gets cold outside, they tend to their nests, take care of their little ones and restrict outside movement. The ideal temperature for their food search is above 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. In all probability, if you happen to see some carpenter ants, it’s quite likely that they have been in the structure for at least a year.
Carpenter Ant Removal and Control
Carpenter ant removal is no ordinary task, and it’s always suggested to seek professional pest help. There are numerous treatment options available to cure signs of carpenter ant infestation. Opting for a particular option depends on factors such as the location of the colony, time of the year, and time passed since they were spotted first in a particular structure.
When carpenter ants are seen quite frequently inside the structure but not in large swarms, it’s likely that their primary colony is elsewhere, and they have established a satellite colony inside the structure. It needs consistent treatment and failing so, shall only embolden the ants to damage the structure more regularly. To save your time, effort, and money, it is best to contact an experienced Pest Management Professional to get rid of carpenter ants and protect homes from re-infestation.
Preventing the Carpenter Ants
1. Do your dishes timely and don’t keep food in open.
2. Keep your backyards and lawns clean and free of junk and piles of debris.
3. Have a dry and plantation-free perimeter around your house, thus offering zero opportunities for nest building.
4. Weed out the shrubs in your lawns and keep the trees trimmed.
5. Seal the likely entry points such as floor cracks and wall crevices.
Final Words
The risk of pest infestation increases manifolds as the autumn sets in. To stay ahead of the curve, reach out to Apex pest control as with thousands of satisfied clients, we shall save you money, property, and your time. We have qualified and experienced professionals that devise the appropriate treatment plan for your house while incorporating advanced pest control techniques. We can relieve you from the multitude of household rodents, wood-borers, bed bugs, spiders, and many other uninvited guests.
Contact us to have peace of mind and a bug-free house!