Does Your Home Show Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation?

Carpenter ants on wood | Advantage Termite and Pest Control

Carpenter ants play a major role in the natural environment as they help clean up dead or dying trees, leaves, and branches that litter the forest floor. On top of this, they offer a steady food source for various creatures in the ecosystem. While these ants are a welcome contribution to nature and the food cycle, their presence is not so welcome when they infest your home.

Carpenter ants are considered one of the most destructive ant species regarding the damage to your home and its infrastructure if they set up shop in your house. While these ants aren’t the most aggressive, they can, without a doubt, put your family in danger if they enter your home. That’s why it’s important to know the signs of a Carpenter ant infestation in your house so that you can take the necessary actions to prevent and stop a Carpenter Ant pest problem. 

What Does A Carpenter Ant Look Like?

In order to identify a Carpenter Ant, it’s important to get familiar with the basics. Carpenter ants are a specific type of wood ant. These ants vary in size, measuring from a quarter inch to greater than a half inch. Most carpenter ants are black, but you might come across an ant that has a combination of red and black, or even ones that are entirely brown or red. It’s important to note that these ants don’t eat wood. Instead, they chew through weakened wood so that they can create nests inside.

These ants have very powerful jaws that they usually use to tunnel into the logs, trees, or most worryingly, wood structures of your home. The irreversible damage caused by carpenter ants can be incredibly costly for homeowners and lead to further problems such as structural compromise, further pest problems, and ant bites. That’s why it’s advisable to let a professional pest control company help you in assessing the damage and take the appropriate actions to eliminate the ants and prevent future invasions. Here are the signs of carpenter ants in your house that you should look out for. 

Signs Of Carpenter Ants In House

The First Sign Of Carpenter Ants

Though it seems glaringly obvious, the first sign of carpenter ants in your home… is a carpenter ant sighting and if you catch it quickly, you might be one of the lucky ones. Unfortunately, many people don’t know what Carpenter Ants look like, so if you see an ant in your house we recommend that you check its color and size and match it with the description of a carpenter ant. Sometimes one sighting is all it takes to nip a pest problem in the bud, and you can save money, time, and stress. So if you want to stay on top of pest problems, keep your eyes peeled and never ignore a sighting. 

Winged Ants

Another sign of a Carpenter Ants problem is winged ants. These winged ants are the reproductive male and female of a colony and fly out to explore possible locations for new nests. The winged ants can be as large as 20 mm in length and might be spotted either crawling or flying. Winged ants can fly far from their nest, especially in windy weather so finding one in your house might not mean you have an existing infestation, but it does warn you to be aware. However, if you happen to find many winged ants, that’s a sign that you likely have a mature colony in your house.

These ants are normally attracted to the light, so you’ll find them around the windows, but that does not mean that is where the nest is. Most likely, they could be coming from somewhere inside your home and congregating around the window by a light source. Another thing to note is that they are usually active during the night. So, you will find them congregating around a light in your home once it’s dark outside. 

Location

Where you see a Carpenter Ant matters a lot. For example, seeing a few Carpenter Ants isn’t a big deal if you are in your garden, especially at a significant distance from your house. At a safe distance from your home, these ants might benefit your garden since they usually feed on pests that damage plants, such as scale and aphid insects. However, if you see carpenter ants near the foundation, floor, or counter inside your house, it’s time you get in touch with professionals to check it out. Although it might not be a big deal, having it looked at as soon as possible will help you get on top of the issue and prevent further risks of infestations. 

Sawdust Piles

Another sign of Carpenter Ants in a house is sawdust piles. Since Carpenter Ants don’t eat wood, they have to dump the wood outside their nest in sawdust piles known as frass. The ants place frass in small piles, especially in secluded places. Since these ants feed on other insects, you might find some parts of dead insects on the frass. 

Damage To Wood

Carpenter ants like building nests inside the wood, and that’s why they usually come inside the house. So, if you find that the wood in your house has obvious damage or blistering, that could be a sign of a carpenter ant or termites in your home. Carpenter Ants’ damages look like a hole frayed near the edges. They may appear like dots and dashes running on a block of wood or it might look similar to wood rot, splintered wood, or appear like your wall, beam or wood panel is disintegrating.

Let Advantage Termite & Pest Control Help

Advantage Pest Control knows how damaging a pest infestation can be. If you come across any signs of Carpenter Ants or other pests in your home, don’t overlook them. Pest Control services like ours can deal with problems quickly and cheaply so do not wait for Ants or other pests to cause damage. Understand the right time to call professionals, and when you need help, we’ll be on our way. 

Advantage Termite & Pest Control can help you assess the presence of these ants or other pests in your house and eliminate them before they cause damage. Contact us today for professional advice and a thorough inspection.

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