Having winter in our rearview mirror is so nice; we can now look forward to all that spring has to offer. Many are looking forward to budding flowers, warmer air, being outdoors, and the sweet smell of spring. However, there is one thing that spring will bring that we are not looking forward to, and that is carpenter ants.
Ants usually make their nests outdoors, in places underneath the soil or mulch, but also in hollow logs and tree stumps. They live in large colonies working together to thrive and breed. While the workers are out foraging for food, they sometimes find themselves indoors, usually through cracks in a home's foundation. Once they are indoors they tunnel through wood like mini excavators leaving behind a trail of sawdust and feces. Carpenter ants will build satellite nests inside walls and floors to remain close to their food source. They usually work at night, so if you find a few of these ants in your home, you are almost guaranteed to have an entire colony or even multiple colonies that have set up camp in your house. This is a huge problem because of all of the damage that they can do to wood products like your walls, ceilings, floors, structural beams as well as personal items. Carpenter ants can be just as destructive as termites. You can tell that you have carpenter ants if you see large black or dark mahogany ants foraging around in your kitchen or pantry or in other places in and around your home. You may also find a fine sawdust outside of their tiny tunnels.
In order to eradicate carpenter ants, you have to get rid of the parent colony, which is not an easy task to do on your own. There is always the risk of another batch of remaining ants that will continue to thrive and breed. You should fix all broken and leaky pipes and drain all water away from your foundation. Check your home for roof, chimney, and skylight leaks, and repair them as soon as possible. Eliminate moisture in crawl spaces, trim back trees and bushes away from your house, and clean up piles of debris, wood, and junk from your yard. You should keep gutters clear of blockages and direct flow away from your home. Take out your trash regularly, and keep indoor and outdoor trash securely sealed with tight-fitting lids. Also, you should store your food in containers with tight-fitting lids.
For properties in and around Albany, NY you can call on the professionals at Thomas Pest Services. Our pest management programs will target large wood-destroying ants, as well as many other pests that plague your home. Give one of our customer service representatives a call for more information on which plan would be right for you and your home.