No homeowner wants to think about a pest literally eating away at their home. Unfortunately, when you’re dealing with carpenter ants, that’s exactly what is happening. Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking that since it is wintertime, there won’t be any pests like carpenter ants that are active. While this might be the case most of the time, it doesn’t mean that the risk isn’t still there. A-Tex Pest Managementis here to talk about carpenter ants and just how much of a risk they are during the winter.
Are Carpenter Ants Dormant in Winter?
It’s true, when the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, carpenter ants go into dormancy most of the time. However, dormancy doesn’t mean gone. When carpenter ants go into dormancy, they are going to find somewhere to build their nest so that they can wait out the weather. However, if carpenter ants have already begun building a nest inside your home somewhere, they will more than likely stay active throughout the entire winter. This means bad news for you as well as your home. This is why it is so important that homeowners don’t let their guards down during the winter months.
Signs of Carpenter Ants in the Winter
During the winter, you still want to be watching for signs of carpenter ants in your house. Here are some signs that you can look for:
– Ants: The first thing that you should look for are the ants themselves. They will be coming out of their nests looking for food and water. They don’t actually eat the wood they live in; they just build galleries inside for their colonies. They have to forage for food in your home. If you see any carpenter ants, you have a problem.
– Frass: This is the sawdust looking leftovers that the ants will kick out of the gallery that they are building. If you notice that you have this frass in your home, you should know that there are likely carpenter ants in the house somewhere.
– Hollow Wood: You shouldn’t knock on any wood in your house and hear something hollow, this means there is significant damage to the wood either by termites or carpenter ants.
– Knocking Sounds: Sometimes, when carpenter ants are working on their galleries, it can sound like a faint knocking sound inside the walls of your house. This is another sign that carpenter ants have infested your house.
– Water Damage: When your home has sustained water damage, it makes it easier for carpenter ants to build their nests. Water damaged wood is definitely something that will attract carpenter ants.
Carpenter Ant Pest Inspections, Treatment, Control, Removal & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park Texas
If you notice that there are carpenter ants in your house, you will want to call on A-Tex Pest Management as soon as possible. We will work to make sure you don’t have carpenter ants in your house this winter or any other time of the year. Call us today!
