This time of year when we see a carpenter ant and don’t give them a second thought. The weather will be getting colder, so how could they possibly be a danger at this point? Don’t be fooled, these ants should be taken seriously all year long and should never be ignored. They are not really a danger to humans directly and they can be somewhat beneficial to the environment as they break down dead trees and rotting stumps in forests and wooded areas. The danger of carpenter ants is when they enter homes and burrow through integral parts of a home, like ceilings, floors, walls, furniture and most importantly support beams. This can weaken the structure of a home rapidly and be extremely costly to homeowners in repair costs. Carpenter ant damages can cause millions of dollars each year throughout the United States alone. It is best to handle carpenter ants before they get into your home.
Carpenter ants love moist, damp or rotting wood. Your home is a virtual playground for carpenter ants, especially if you have leaky pipes or plumbing issues in your home. These mini excavators will create a colony outside, forage within your home, kitchen, and pantry for food and then create multiple satellite colonies inside your home. They get very comfortable and will not want to leave willingly.
If you see a single carpenter ant inside your home, there may not be a reason to panic, but it could also mean there are more of these damaging pests in your home that you do not know about. Most of the time you will see these ants while they forage for food in your kitchen or pantry. If you look closely you could also see other signs of carpenter ant activity like sawdust from kick-out holes. Seeing kick-out holes is significant because that means you have an active infestation. It is important to remember that carpenter ants that are on the inside of your home will be unaffected by the colder weather outside your home, they can remain active throughout the winter.
Now the hard part is getting rid of a carpenter ant infestation and keeping them away! You have to find all of the satellite colonies and the main colony to eradicate them successfully. Otherwise, you will find yourself with another infestation in no time at all. Not to mention all of the work keeping the ants out will cause you throughout the year. If you live in the Capital District or Adirondack regions of New York, you can call on Thomas Pest Services to take care of your carpenter ant problems, big or small. We can target carpenter ants as well as other pests in your home and determine which plan works best for you. Give us a call today at Thomas Pest Services, and let us do the dirty work so that you can live pest free.