If you are noticing wood shavings in odd places like around the frame of your window sill or exterior door jamb, you might be facing a carpenter ant issue. Carpenter ants create tunnel networks through your home’s wooden supports, door and window framing, and more. They do this to establish nesting areas and access to food sources; although they do not eat the wood but use it for their own building needs. As a result of this activity, they can weaken support beams and create even larger problems for homeowners.
Identifying Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants can be difficult to spot or even know are in your home. Here are just a few of the signs to look for when determining if you have a carpenter ant infestation:
- Spot carpenter ants inside or around your home
- Wood shavings on the floor around wooden objects or structures
- You can hear movement in the walls near where you suspect activity
- Large-winged ants are seen coming from walls, ceilings, and other hidden areas
- Look for them in walls, windows, attic vents and structural lumber that have been softened by moisture
Due to their destructive nature, leaving a carpenter ant problem untreated is not an option and you should begin treatment right away. It’s important that you hire a reputable extermination company like My Private Exterminators that have significant experience in treating and controlling destructive carpenter ants in your home.
Conditions that Carpenter Ants Prefer
Since carpenter ants prefer moist wood, you can try to check areas in your home that have issues with rain leaks and general dampness. These points of entry could include places like:
- Foundation cracks
- Pipes and pipe access holes
- Cracks in or around your baseboards, windows, and doors
- Attic vents
- Electrical and/or telephone wire ports
These are just a few key areas to check first. Once carpenter ants find their way in, they will generally prefer structural lumber in which to build a nest or satellite colony. They have also been known to establish nests and colonies inside foam panels, hollow doors, wall voids, and even in windows.
How to Exterminate Carpenter Ants
Generally, carpenter ants are exterminated through the use of insecticides and sprays. These types of treatments come in various forms, and you should consult a professional exterminator about the best options if you attempt to do the extermination yourself.
Some of the more popular methods that homeowners turn to for carpenter ant infestation treatment are:
Non-Repellent insecticides are usually an outdoor perimeter spray that kills carpenter ants by a delayed effect so they can take it to their nest and expose more of their colony to it.
Repellent insecticides are applied to your outdoor perimeter via a spray that creates a barrier which repels the insects from going through it.
Slow-acting bait traps can be purchased easily and are effective when placed on the carpenter ant trail. It has a delayed effect like the non-repellant spray, but can be used indoors.
Dusts can be directly applied if you access or expose the nest, and are effective immediately. Products like diatomaceous earth are effective dust treatments that kill carpenter ants in your home. Be aware some products like this can be toxic. You should contact a professional exterminator first.
Call an Expert For Help
While it is good to understand how to kill carpenter ants, executing an effective treatment plan isn’t easy. The most effective way to rid your home and property of carpenter ants is to call a pest control professional who can perform the necessary treatment expertly and safely.
My Private Exterminator has over 15 years experience in pest control and extermination in the greater Brooklyn and NYC area and ise here to help 24/7. Call us today at (347) 305-8524 to get a free estimate, or contact us online here so we can help you eliminate your carpenter ant problem as soon as possible.