What Not To Do If You Have Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants can be as dangerous as termites. They both eat wood at an alarming rate. However, the carpenter ant simply creates tunnels in wood, they don’t actually eat it. In contrast, the termite lives off the wood, damaging it is just a side-effect of their survival.
The good news is that, because carpenter ants make tunnels in the wood and aren’t focused on eating it, they cause damage much slower than termites do.
But, that’s not very comforting when you’re looking t the damage they’ve caused and are calling the pest control company.
Signs Of Carpenter Ants
One of the most obvious signs that you have carpenter ants is small piles of sawdust in your home. These are the result of the ants tunneling into your wood. This can be on any wood in your home, you’ll see the tell-tale small circular holes. The sawdust below them indicates active carpenter ants as opposed to termites.
You should also be able to hear the carpenter ants in your walls! You’ll need to press your ear against the wall and then tap gently. This will disturb the nest and send the worker ants scurrying to protect the nest. You’ll hear them moving as a rustling sound.
You should note that most carpenter ant nests are near window or door frames and usually in the kitchen or bathroom as they prefer to be near water.
If you look after dark you may even see the carpenter ants come out of the wall, they prefer the darkness.
If you think you have them, one thing you should do is call the local exterminators.
Things You Shouldn’t Do
There are several things you shouldn’t do if you think you have carpenter ants:
- Ignore Them
If you don’t see them as causing you an issue you may be tempted to simply ignore them. This is not a viable option. If left alone they will continue to multiply and build their nest. In the process, they will damage more of your wood.
While the process may be slower than with termites, the end result is the same. Your home will have structural damage which will be costly to repair.
- Identifying The Wrong Ant
It’s very easy to confuse the carpenter ant with a termite. The problem is that if you get the diagnosis wrong you’ll be administering the wrong treatment. Instead of killing the colony, you’ll simply be leaving them to keep building and damaging your home.
It’s essential you identify the ants correctly.
- Doing It Yourself
There are plenty of products available that can assist you in dealing with a carpenter ant or termite problem. However, doing it yourself is not always the best idea. The simple fact is that you may not kill the nest. If you don’t it will continue to grow and your problem will become worse, even if you think you’ve beaten them.
Get the professionals to help they’ll ensure the nest is gone and certify the results.
