Carpenter ants live naturally throughout the world, but the can be particularly rampant in climates with higher annual rainfall. That being said, no matter where you live, carpenter ants can mean big problems to your home and your family. Carpenter ants are a big threat because they are some of the most prominent wood destroying insects and can cause thousands of dollars in structural damage to your home. If carpenter ants choose your home to nest in, it can affect the structural safety of your home. If you see rather large black ants wondering around your home, then you need to take a closer look and find out if they’re carpenter ants or not!
Signs Of Carpenter Ant Infestations In Your Home:
- Spot large black or red ants with or without wings.
- Small piles of sawdust or wood shavings along baseboards, door frames, window frames.
- Trails of ant trains, carpenter ants will walk in a train as they look for food to bring back home.
- Faint rustling noises within your drywall and woodwork. As carpenter ants begin nesting they will burrow and eat through your woodwork and will sound like faint scratching and rustling noises.
- Discover discarded wings from the swarmer ants. Carpenter ants will occasionally shed their wings and you might notice them littered around your home.
- Noticeable damage on wooden structures such as baseboards, fences, and garden posts. Carpenter ant damage will traditionally look like a small ant sized hole with frayed edges, zig zagged holes and damage, and it can also look like rotten wood (but they also like to attack rotten wood).
What To Do If You Notice Some Of These Signs Of Carpenter Ants?:
If you notice any of the above signs, then there’s a good chance you could have a carpenter ant infestation. It’s important to act quickly so that you catch the infestation before the damage is done!
There are plenty of DIY treatments, but at some point you need to make the decision about whether it’s the right choice to try DIY treatments or just let the professionals handle it. I’d say if you’re already noticing significant wood damage, then you should call a professional, that being said, if you don’t notice damage, then you can probably stick with DIY treatments.
DIY Treatments For Carpenter Ants:
- Use a baiting station so that the ants bring back the bait to their colony.
- Eliminate scent trails by wiping the trails with tea tree oil, lemon, or even just a mixture of soap and water. This will disrupt the ants ability to follow their trail into your home.
- Remove wood piles and debris near the foundation of your home, this attracts carpenter ants to your property and allows them easy access to your home.
- Caulk any cracks or easy entrances for carpenter ants.
- Ensure your home is relatively tidy and there’s no food or garbage laying around that ants will be attracted to.
- Ensure your lawn is ant free by using ant killers for lawns!
Keep Carpenter Ants Out Of Your Home:
Overall having carpenter ants in your home is not only gross and unsettling, but it can also be dangerous to your home’s safety and cause thousands of dollars in damages. If you begin to notice signs of carpenter ants in your home then you really need to act quickly to ensure that significant damages aren’t incurred. If you already have noticed significant damage then it’s time to call in the professionals rather than work
