Carpenter ants are a common problem for homes because they can hollow out wood to make nests. If you don’t get rid of these pests, they can damage your home’s structure. To keep your home safe from carpenter ants, you need to know where to look for their nests and what to do when you find them.
How to Find Carpenter Ant Nests:
Finding the homes of the carpenter ants is the first thing that needs to be done to get rid of them. Keep an eye out for these important signs:
- Frass: Carpenter ants make something called “frass,” which is made up of dirt, wood shavings, and insect parts. Frass that is close to small holes in wood or around your house is a good sign that there is a nest nearby.
- Damage to Wood: Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat wood for food; instead, they hollow it out to make rooms for their nests. Look for wood that sounds hollow or is harmed, especially around windows and doors or in crawl spaces, which are often wet places.
- Ant Activity: Pay attention to places where you’ve seen carpenter ants. If you see a steady flow of worker ants going to and from a certain spot, it’s probably where a nest is.
Places to Look for Nests:
Okay, now that you know what to look for, let’s talk about where to look:
- Areas That Are Prone to Moisture: Carpenter ants like wood that is damp or rotting. Look for water damage in places like the eaves of your roof, plumbing that leaks, and the area around your base. These are great places for birds to build nests.
- Structures Made of Wood Outside: Carpenter ants often build their nests in decks, sheds, and fences that are made of wood outside. Check these places carefully, especially if they’re older or have been out in the weather.
- Trees and Stumps: You can also find these ants’ nests in trees or tree stumps in your yard. If you have plants close to your house, they could be an easy way for the ants to get inside.
- Locations inside: Carpenter ants usually build their main nests outside, but they also often build smaller nests inside. Check places where people have seen ants, like cracks in the walls, attics, or crawl areas.
When You Find a Nest, What to Do:
Once you find a carpenter ant nest, you’ll need to get rid of it to stop the damage from getting worse. Do these things:
- Contact a Professional: If you have a problem with carpenter ants, you should probably get help from a professional pest control service. They can correctly figure out how bad the infestation is, find all the nests, and come up with a way to get rid of the pests.
- Targeted Treatment: To get rid of carpenter ant nests, professionals use a variety of methods, such as bait sites and liquid insecticides. These methods are very specific and work to get rid of the colony for good.
- Stop Future Infestations: To stop future infestations, fix any wetness problems in your home, like fixing leaks and making the air flow better. Keep your property free of wood that is rotting because it can bring in carpenter ants. Regularly check weak spots for signs of ant activity.
- To fix the wood, fix any damage that the ants did to the structure. This could mean fixing up buildings and replacing wood that is damaged.
In conclusion:
Carpenter ant nests can do a lot of damage to your home, but you can protect it if you find it early and get professional help. To keep infestations from happening, you need to do regular checks and be careful about controlling moisture. If you think carpenter ants have come into your home, don’t wait to call a pest control professional for a full inspection and effective treatment.
Ant Control Bolton, A team of licensed, professional, trained, fully insured & equipped pest control specialists ready to take on any intrusive residential and commercial ant infestation.Call now and book a treatment: 647-578-7949