There are a few different types of ants that invade homes and wreak havoc on its wooden structure, and carpenter ants are among the most destructive. Other than termites, carpenter ants represent the pests that pose the most severe threats to the integrity of your home. So, if you’ve noticed ants in and around your property, it may be time to act before the circumstances worsen.
At Home Pros is an excellent resource in your search for the right pest control service provider. Our experts are here to connect you with highly rated local pest management technicians in no time at all. In the meantime, if you’ve been noticing ants around your property and want to know what type, what damage they might inflict and what to do about them, here’s some information to get you started.
Physical characteristics of carpenter ants
There are a couple of different types of ants that can pose a threat to you and your loved ones. Ants that sting or bite are the worst, and can include fire ants, army ants, carpenter ants or acrobat ants.
The largest of the ant species that live in the contiguous United States, carpenter ants, might surprise you because they don’t look especially tough, unless you come across them in great numbers. In every ant colony there are three different castes: queens, workers and males. Queens are winged females that lay eggs for the colony; workers are wingless females that do most of the labor; males only have one purpose, and that’s to mate with the queen during the swarming process.
Many homeowners, when inspecting their home and grounds, might mistake carpenter ants for termites, but there are a couple of clear ways you can tell the difference between these two destructive species. Carpenter ants have a noticeable waist, whereas termites’ waists are much thicker. Termites’ antennae are straight; ants have bent or angled antennae and have longer legs than termites. When you can see their wings, termites’ wings are the same size, while an ant’s front wings are longer than the back ones.
It can be difficult to tell the difference between these two, especially during the summer and fall. During these transitional months, the winged members of each species are flying around in search of new grounds, and can often be mistaken for one another even by observant homeowners. They also share similar physical characteristics, including dark color (black or dark red) and size (a little more than half an inch long).
Threat to your home
Both termites and carpenter ants pose a very real threat to your home. Termites eat wood, a trait that carpenter ants don’t share. However, carpenter ants tunnel through the wood to build their nests, which can be just as destructive.
Carpenter ants burrow through moist, dead wood to create a safe place to lay their eggs, leaving piles of chewed-up wood in their wake. If you think you have a colony of carpenter ants nearby, you will notice piles of pulverized wood to mark their progress in tunneling through the major beams of your home. These pests will also burrow into any wood furniture in your home, so look for these telltale piles of sawdust underneath.
One way to figure out whether you have a colony of carpenter ants living uninvited in your home is by listening. Carpenter ants often build their colonies in places where they have easy access to water, so use this technique in the walls of your kitchen or bathroom. Tap on an exposed surface, and then listen carefully for movement on the other side, which will sound like rustling.
If you hear rustling behind your walls, wait until dark, when carpenter ants are more likely to be active. Using a bright flashlight, quickly illuminate the seam at the bottom of the wall and look for small worker ants out and about. This will let you know that you positively have a colony of carpenter ants infesting your house.
DIY vs. Professional Treatments
If your infestation is only a mild one and not too severe, you can treat it with some well-placed baited traps. Especially if the situation is slightly removed from your living area, like a porch or patio, you may be able to solve it by using traps. Carpenter ant traps have toxic chemicals in them, so it’s best to keep them out of reach of animals or children.
Carpenter ants really like moist, damp areas, and are almost always associated with a wet spot. Search for places in your home that have especially high humidity or a constant water source, like a leak.
Sprays can be used to keep a carpenter ant infestation from growing, or preventing it from moving indoors. You can spray any active ants you see, and you can also use the spray – specially formulated for carpenter ants – to create an impassable perimeter around your home or certain wooden areas.
Professionals will use all of their resources to locate the colonies in your home and eradicate them. Using baiting techniques and focused pesticide application, pest specialists will make sure that the carpenter ants are a thing of the past. Contact At Home Pros today to start your journey to a pest-free home.