Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are another common wood destroying insect that can infest and damage your home. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood and can cause structural damage to your home. Unlike subterranean termites, however, they do not consume wood for fuel: these tunnels, called galleries, are merely passageways. Like many insects, carpenter ants feed on items high in sugar content: honey, syrup, jellies, candy, sugar, etc. can all be attractants.
Carpenter Ant Colonies
Carpenter Ant colonies form around a queen and contain several types of workers and swarmers. As with other insect colonies, workers perform the menial tasks of foraging, construction, and defense. Swarmers, or winged carpenter ants, are the reproductive males. Seeing swarmers is a particularly important sign that you may have an infestation.
It is very common to see carpenter ants in the open. The first step in carpenter ant control is locating the nest, which can be a difficult task. Colonies can form almost anywhere in a house, such as inside walls, attic spaces, crawl spaces, etc. They can even form inside doors and in insulation. They are particularly attracted to moist areas such as behind bathtubs and showers, under dishwashers, and near sinks and toilets.
While seeing carpenter ants is not a sure indication of infestation, we recommend having an insect infestation inspection at the first sign of carpenter ants.
Carpenter Ant Control
Prevention is obviously the best method of carpenter ant control. There are several steps you can take to help prevent carpenter ants from nesting in or near your home:
- Do not store firewood near your house. Keep it as far away from your structure as is feasible.
- Remove tree stumps, dead shrubs, and overhanging limbs from your yard.
- Perform routine inspections of your home and correct any moisture damaged elements such as beams, joists, and studs.
Once an infestation is suspected, we have a number of service options for carpenter ant control. We can inspect your home, identify the nest, treat for the infestation, and even help with moisture control. Whether we employ traditional treatment methods or our Eco-Friendly Green Service, Carolina Pest Management is well qualified to help you solve your carpenter ant problems. As with all our services, we can customize a treatment plan to your specific needs.
We Can Help!
Carolina Pest Management has been serving the Carolinas for four generations. We are one of the largest independently owned pest control companies in North Carolina. Whether you are seeing signs of carpenter ants, suffering from fire ants, or even need flea extermination, we can help! We utilize Integrated Pest Management Practices to protect your health, your home and your family. We can provide you with a solution to any of your pest control problems, so if your home or family is suffering from any of these pests, call us today!
