You need carpenter ant control for your greenville home. While carpenter ants, just like all ant species, are considered an important part of our ecosystem, unfortunately they don’t limit their destruction solely to decaying trees. Carpenter ants can cause devastating damage, and in certain parts of the United States they are the number one wood-destroying pest, even beating out termites. Carpenter ants can cause more damage quicker than a termite colony. However, it is easy to take small precautions that will help you to defeat the carpenter ant by following some simple guidelines. Let’s read on!
How to Identify a Carpenter Ant
Carpenter ants are normally easy to see with the naked eye simply because of their size. They are large; ranging from 3/8 to ½ inch long, though the queens can be double that length. Carpenter ants are very dark brown, black, black and red, or black and orange in color and have bent antennae. But the best way to distinguish a carpenter ant from other black ants is carpenter ants have a one node waist and the area behind the head called the thorax, are both evenly rounded. They actually look quite scary close up and have very strong mandibles.
Signs You Many Have Carpenter Ants
Very difficult to eradicate, carpenter ant damage can quickly become significant and costly. Obvious signs of carpenter ants include:
- Seeing large black ants in your home or yard.
- Finding piles of sawdust or wood shavings around interior or exterior wooden furniture, window sills, door jambs and baseboards.
- Hearing crackling or rustling sounds coming from inside your walls, decorative mouldings and other woodwork. With a carpenter ant infestation it’s not uncommon to hear these noises in a bathroom or kitchen as they like to nest near a water source.
- Finding piles of discarded wings around air vents, baseboards or near windowsills.
- Noticing large winged ants emerging from tiny cracks in the ceiling, floor joists, around windows and mouldings.
- Decaying firewood or a dying or diseased tree is a natural draw for carpenter ants.
Carpenter Ant Control, Removal and Prevention
Because these ants are so insidious the best course of action when it comes to an infestation is utilizing the services of a professional pest control company. To completely eradicate the infestation the nest must be located and destroyed. Bait or non-repellent pesticides should be used in order to kill the remaining ants. Then after the technician has done their job it’s time for you to get to work to ensure a new colony of carpenter ants don’t return.
- Replace any moisture damaged wood both interior and exterior.
- Fill all interior and exterior cracks and crevices including those around plumbing pipes and electrical wiring.
- Store firewood as far as possible from any structures. When bringing indoors check carefully for any signs of ants and other insects.
- Keep shrubs, plants and overhanging tree branches from touching your home including the roof and foundation.
Scout’s Pest Control, serving the entire Upstate of South Carolina, follows all prescribed CDC Covid-19 precautions and will provide no-contact service calls upon request. Please call 864-469-4999 today to schedule an appointment. Do not let carpenter ants destroy your home. Take action now and start a regular pest control program. You will be glad you did and our prices start from $29.
