Wood-destroying pests are a recipe for disaster in any home. Do you suspect carpenter ants may be living in your house? If so, you’ll want to dive into our top tips for discovering if you have a carpenter ant infestation. Prompt and efficient ant pest control can then help get the situation under control so that you can feel at ease again in your home.
Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation
Being aware of the signs of a carpenter ant infestation is the first step toward treatment. If your home is infested with ants, you may notice the following signs:
Finding & Hearing Ants
Carpenter ants are rather large, black ants. They are usually easily identifiable for the average person based on these traits. You may find the ants dead or alive, and ant activity may be sporadic, leading you to believe the problem has gone away. However, just because the ants temporarily disappear doesn’t mean they are gone. They could be tending to their nests, on a food-finding expedition, or caring for their young.
Because these ants reside in the walls of your home, you can also listen for signs of them there. Carpenter ants are most active at night, and you may detect scraping or shuffling noises within your walls after sundown.
Sawdust Piles
If you begin to find small sawdust piles around your house, that’s another sign of carpenter ants. The ants don’t eat the wood they burrow, known as “frass,” but rather leave the shavings behind in tiny piles. These piles of frass may be located near wooden areas, such as a windowsill, baseboard, or a similar place.
Signs of a Mature Ant Infestation
If you haven’t begun to notice ants around the house or the sawdust they leave behind, flying ants may come as a surprise to you. These ants may swarm the windowpanes. They are a sign the ants have been dwelling in your house for quite some time. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t try and ignore the problem! These ants are scouts sent from a mature nest to establish new nests. At this stage, it is crucial to tackle your carpenter ant infestation before things progress to more serious levels.
Structural Damage
When left unchecked, a carpenter ant infestation can lead to severe structural damage in your home. That’s why it’s important to tackle the issue as soon as you notice the first signs of an ant infestation. By the time things have reached this stage, you may start to notice warped framing around doors, weakened structural support, and other signs of damage.
Ant Pest Control for Your Carpenter Ant Infestation
No matter what stage of the process you find yourself at, you may be unsure of how to deal with an ant colony in your home. While some natural remedies are effective in ridding structures of ants, carpenter ants are a particularly notorious kind of ant. They are hard to repel, especially once they have a well-established nest within your home’s walls. Generally, it’s recommended to contact a trained ant pest control service to rid your home of ants and protect your property completely.