Is there a hole in the bottom of your porch? As homes age there are several things that can cause them to shift, warp, settle and deteriorate. Don't let bugs and wildlife be among them. If you see ants in your kitchen, you should know that it is a warning sign--a sign that your home has a breach. Hopefully, that breach is a broken screen, a damaged door sweep or some weather stripping that isn't doing its job. But most of the time ants are letting you know that your house has a rotted hole somewhere. That hole might even be obvious. You could be passing through the entrance of your home every day and know that there is a hole in the bottom of the door frame that needs to be repaired, but not realize this is where bugs and wildlife get in. Once they're in, they can do all kinds of damage.
More often, the hole is in a place you can't see. And you should be thanking those ants for letting you know about it. Their meddlesome presence could be just the push you needed to get busy fixing that hole, before wood-chewing bugs, mice, rats, and eventually squirrels make it large enough to crawl through.
If you have ants, it is important to identify them.
The majority of ants crawling through your house will only be a nuisance to have around. But if the ants you see walking--in large numbers--across your kitchen floor, are carpenter ants, it is time to take more drastic measures. That is why it is crucial to be able to identify them. Here's what you need to know.
They are the largest ants you'll find in your home, ranging from 3.4 to 13 mm in length.
They are commonly black, but they may also have a reddish or yellowish coloration.
Carpenter ants chew large galleries through wood.
If you see carpenter ants, you're going to need to do more than just seal up a rotted hole. Once these ants get into your house, they will establish a colony and eat away at your home for years. Call a professional pest control company and have them completely eradicated. This is not an ant you can live with. Well … not if you want to still have a porch.
Click here to find out how Thomas Pest Services treats carpenter ants or simply give us a shout.