Carpenter ants are important for the role that they play in breaking down wood debris and turning it into beautiful soil. That’s all well and good, but you do not want them breaking down your home. If they are in a location far away from your home, you wouldn’t want to disrupt their work, but the moment that you find them within the walls of your home, you will want them removed. A-Tex Pest Management would like to help you identify and avoid carpenter ant infestations in or around your home.
Identifying Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are often confused for termites. They look similar in a lot of ways, but there are some differences. For instance, carpenter ants have a distinct pinched waist, while termites don’t have a waist at all. They both can have wings, but carpenter ants have two sets of wings that are different sizes. Carpenter ants are a very large ant. They are usually about ¼ to ½ inch long and range in color from brown to black.
Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation
Because carpenter ants can forage for food up to 1000 feet from their nest, you may see them without having them living in the walls of your home. The biggest sign of this pest is visually seeing them though. Other signs that they have made a nest in your home might include piles of sawdust or wood shavings next to or under wooden structures as well as rustling noise inside walls. If you see winged worker ants going to or from a crack or opening in the wall, you most definitely have a problem.
Damage Caused by Carpenter Ants
Contrary to popular belief, carpenter ants don’t actually eat wood. They build their nests in wood. Since they don’t actually eat it like termites, they don’t cause damage as quickly as termites do. They still weaken and damage wooden structures, and the longer they are there, there the worse the damage will be. They like to build their nests in wood that has already been weakened by moisture as this is easier for them to build their nests in. It is important to get rid of them as soon as possible to avoid major structural damage.
How to Prevent Carpenter Ant Infestations
In order to prevent a carpenter ant infestation, you need to do the following:
• Trim Trees- If you have trees or shrubs near your home, you will want to make sure they are trimmed and not touching your home. This is an easy access point for carpenter ants to gain entry into your home.
• Repair Moisture Damage- If you see any areas of your home that have been damaged by moisture, you will want to fix them in order to avoid carpenter ants. They love to build nests in weakened wood.
• Manage Wood Piles- If you have wood piles, keep them far from your house. You don’t want them around any structures that could be damaged by carpenter ants.
• Keep Food Stored- Carpenter ants are attracted to sweet, greasy and oily foods. Keep your kitchen and eating areas neat and tidy.
Ant Pest Inspections, Treatment, Control, Removal & More in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park Texas
If you are suspicious of a carpenter ant infestation, it is important to take action immediately to avoid structural damage to your home A-Tex Pest Management offers carpenter ant control and prevention. Their trained pest control technicians can rid your home of this destructive pest. Call us today!
