All species of ants are beneficial to the nature around us and, in return, to us. They aerate the soil, help organic matter to decompose, and are an absolute hoot to watch. Aside from carpenter ants, most ants species don't pose much danger to our health or the health of our homes.
Carpenter ants in Eagle, on the other hand, are outdone only by termites when it comes to inflicting costly damage on the structure of our homes.
Let's take a look at how to identify and spot signs of carpenter ants in your home, what to watch out for if your property is infested with them, what causes carpenter ants to pick your home instead of your neighbors, and what treatments Eagle pest control professionals recommend to keep them out of your home.
How To Identify A Carpenter Ant
Carpenter ants are one of the most widespread ant species in our area. They are one of the largest ants you're likely to encounter in North America, growing up to 5/8 inches long. Unlike termites, carpenter ants are usually colored in darker hues, ranging from red to black or combinations of both.
Watch for the following signs of carpenter ants in your home:
- Flying reproductives, also called swarmers, are usually seen after a rain in late spring or early summer.
- Small holes in the wood that serve as entrances to the galleries of tunnels ants build.
- Sawdust piles, aka carpenter ant frass, in your home.
- Seeing ants scurrying around, looking for food.
The key to an effective DIY carpenter ant treatment is spotting an infestation in the early stages before you're faced with thousands upon thousands of insects in the colony.
Carpenter Ants Can Create Multiple Problems In Your Home
Unlike most other ant species, carpenter ants don't build nests in the ground but instead tunnel through the fibers of dead and diseased trees, building extensive galleries. While out in their natural environment, this tunneling habit helps to decompose dead trees and enrich the soil, but once carpenter ants make their way inside your Eagle home, it becomes a very costly problem to repair. Given enough time to grow their numbers, carpenter ants can weaken the structure of your house.
Carpenter ants don't feed on cellulose the way termites do, and out of necessity, they will search out and find whatever groceries you have stored in your home, contaminating both the food and surfaces they travel on.
The Factors That Can Attract Carpenter Ants To Your Home
Like all other pests, carpenter ants make their way into your home enamored with the idea of easy access to plentiful food and water.
The fact that the walls of your house will both protect them from their natural predators as well as serve as the building location for their nests does not hurt either.
Keeping carpenter ants out of your Eagle home involves ensuring they have no access to food, making sure the plumbing leaks are promptly fixed to keep them away from water, and making it as hard as possible for ants to make their way past your home's walls by sealing cracks and crevices in them.
How To Completely Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants In Your Home
At RAM Wildlife and Pest Management, we've been helping Eagle residents get rid of carpenter ants since 2006, applying more than 25 years of experience towards keeping ants and other pests out of your home and away from your property.
If you suspect that your property is infested with carpenter ants, don't wait until they inflict costly damage on your home: give us a call today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Eagle.
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