Depending on the whereabouts of the ants' colony, structural damage can occur in just a matter of months. Rather than chancing the DIY route to getting rid of carpenter ants, hire a professional exterminator to do the job right for you, and banish these destructive pests forever.
Contrary to popular belief, carpenter ants do not actually eat the wood. Rather, they hollow it out in order to nest inside, which may result in structural damage. Also unlike termites, carpenter ants generally take years to cause significant damage.
Spotting large black ants in your house. Finding piles of wood shavings or sawdust beneath wooden areas like baseboards, door jambs, and window sills. Seeing long ant trails or ant paths on your lawn. Carpenter ants will travel long distances to forage for food and bring it back to the nest.
Although carpenter ants will eventually die off on their own if their food source disappears, this process could take months or even years. If you're dealing with an infestation, it's best to take proactive measures to get rid of carpenter ants as quickly as possible.
Can carpenter ants make my home collapse? While the carpenter ants themselves may not collapse your home, they can weaken support beams or the foundation. This can make it easier for weather damage to be more severe.
Depending on the whereabouts of the ants' colony, structural damage can occur in just a matter of months. Rather than chancing the DIY route to getting rid of carpenter ants, hire a professional exterminator to do the job right for you, and banish these destructive pests forever.
The most common solution is to use an insecticide that contains pyrethroids. The trick is getting insecticidal spray or dust into the nest. You should never spray liquids around electrical outlets or junction boxes, but insecticidal dust can be used in these areas.
The truth is that they only tunnel through wood to create protected nests. The food they eat is commonly found outside their nests and consists of honeydew, meats, fats, and sweet foods such as syrup, jelly, and honey. As long as carpenter ants have these basic necessities, they will never truly go away.
Carpenter ants can be very difficult to permanently remove, since you'll need to locate each of their nests and completely destroy them. That's why carpenter ant treatments can cost much more than they do for other types of ants.
Each year, carpenter ants become active in the spring (March-April) and remain so through early fall (September-October). A mature carpenter ant colony usually releases reproductive individuals in springtime.
Since they're cold-blooded, they are usually dormant during winter, except when their nests receive adequate heat and moisture. Because of this, carpenter ants are difficult to locate as they stay mostly in their satellite nests or parent nest.
One treatment will generally control the problem but if expect to be spraying a few times annually to ensure new ants don't come back. In general, once every 3 months will keep them under control.
Carpenter ant galleries also have holes through which worker ants eject unwanted debris. While the surface of wood may appear undamaged, carpenter ant galleries can be identified by these telltale window holes. There is often a pile of wood shavings, debris, dead insects and other debris outside nest openings.
Remember, carpenter ants are mostly nocturnal, so you may need to inspect after dark with a flashlight. Try to locate where the ants are trailing, and follow any ant that is carrying a bit of food back to the nest.
Carpenter ant infestations, whether minor or severe, can be handled by utilizing many of the same measures as other ant species. Ant bait, insecticide dust, and insecticidal spray are the most common ant management techniques.
The only way to ensure carpenter ants won't return is by eliminating the colony. It's one thing to apply treatment to a couple ants you see scurrying across your kitchen counters, but it won't do much unless you get the source of your ant infestation.
Most species of ants, including carpenter ants, dislike the strong scent of vinegar, which is why mixing it with water is enough to repel them. It's important to note that while the vinegar messes with the scent trail and prevents them from returning, the solution isn't enough to kill them.
Carpenter ants don't disappear in the winter. They can be a year-round problem for any home. And, a year-round problem needs a year-round solution. Carpenter ants are also a pest threat that is ever-encroaching.
You may get a few wandering ants for a few days to a week that were not in the nest at the time of the treatment. However, the carpenter ant treatment around the home will kill them.
Termites can cause damage to homes quicker than carpenter ants can, creating significant damage within two to four years. Damage from carpenter ants can take a number of years and is usually easier to detect as these ants hang around areas where there is moisture and can be seen scurrying around.
Drywall, also known as sheetrock, is used in walls and ceilings in many homes. As the biggest attraction spot for carpenter ants is a place where water and wood interact to cause some rotting, carpenter ants can easily eat through the drywall. In fact, moist drywall is an ideal nesting place for Carpenter Ants.
Another reason you may be seeing carpenter ants is because wet conditions (often caused by damage from weather, plumbing issues, condensation, etc.) are prevalent in or around your home.