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Carpenter Ant Prevention and Treatment
Keeping carpenter ants out of your home or business is cost effective and will save your home. The following general tips will help deter carpenter ant problems: If you store firewood pick allocation away from your house or business, do not store the wood against it. Make sure you inspect the firewood- some firewood has ant infestations in them; in turn the infestation could spread to your home. Make sure you remove any tree branches/bush/shrubs that are directly touching your house or business. Inspect your high moisture areas throughout the year for any new signs of infestation.
If you find damage and/or suspect a carpenter ant problem, get professional help. Call The Bug Busters for a free consultation. If you try to treat a carpenter ant infestation yourself, you might just move the problem from one place in the structure to another. If you do take this route, make sure you do daily inspections for a re-emergence of the colony(s). If you have a heavy infestation, I would highly recommend using us for professional treatment. The treatments we use are professional grade and have a domino effect on killing off a colony. The over counter items may provide a brief relief or a “hidden” appearance of elimination the first week, with a re emergence or movement of satellite nests to untreated areas.
Signs of a Carpenter Ant Problem
Detecting a carpenter ant infestation isn’t always easy. Some customers advise seeing 5 ants a day inside the house without realizing they have a substantial next on the exterior (deck/firewood pile..). If left untreated this large nest can quickly damage the structure as it builds out. You may see pinhole damage, sawdust piles with ant parts in them as well. If the nest is in a wall void you may actually be able to hear them inside the wall. Carpenter ants may swarm, due to the overcrowding of its original nest, in the late winter or early spring as well. Get ahead of the damage and be proactive- contact us now to schedule an appointment.
Identifying Carpenter Ants
Not all carpenter ants look the same. This species of pest has a population broken into castes. The queen may or may not have wings. Reproducing males also have wings and smaller heads than the queens. The vast majority of ants in any colony are the worker castes of sterile females. Carpenter ant workers are either major workers or minor workers. The major workers are larger, sometimes reaching ¾ of an inch long, who guard the nest and forage for food. The minor workers are noticeably smaller, about ¼ inches long. They care for the young and are the ants you may see carrying the eggs from the satellite nests. If you see ants carrying eggs, winged large ants – then you may have a substantial ant colony.
Ant Infestation and Common Ant Problems
An ant infestation can be a nuisance–or it can be a serious problem, depending on the type of ant you are dealing with. The main types of ants that are common in the NY region are the Sugar Ant and the Carpenter Ant.
Common “Sugar” Ants and Pavement Ants
[Ant on white] Sugar ants are the little black or brown ants you see on sidewalks and pavements outside. Sometimes called pavement ants, they are about 1/10 to 1/8 inch long and prefer to feed on sugary foods–hence the name sugar ant. They are rarely a problem outside, but can become a pest if they infest your kitchen or other indoor rooms. They can sometimes form large colonies of a half million individuals under patios and along walkways, becoming an outdoor pest as well. We will work with the homeowner or business in eradicating exterior sources of food and interior. We will also use pest control methods to alleviate the problem. While Sugar Ants are an annoyance, they rarely cause expensive structural damage like the Carpenter Ant.
Carpenter Ant Problems
Big Ants Are a Bigger Problem
[Carpenter Ant species camponotus vagus] If you find a big ant in or around your home, you may have carpenter ants–a bigger ant that causes a bigger problem. You can get temporary relief from these pests with store bought pesticides, but the problem is likely to return without professional help.
If you find a big ant in or around your property, you may have a big problem.
Carpenter ants are a common New York pest problem. A carpenter ant infestation can be every bit as destructive as termites. That is why it is important to identify pests like these and get rid of carpenter ants as soon as you now you have a carpenter ant problem. If you see even one big ant, call for help.
Carpenter Ants Are Wood Destroying Insects
Carpenter ants, like termites, destroy wood. The any colony(s) use their mandibles to tear wood and burrow in to make galleries/nests. This weakens wood structures and supports. If left untreated, this can cause extensive damage and a serious safety concern due to the weakened structures. Carpenter ant colonies can contain over 40,000 ants with satellites throughout the structure with 5,000 more. With these large numbers they can build fast, which means they can damage fast. You want to be proactive with carpenter ants, due to their destructive behavior and contact us now for a consultation and schedule an appointment.