Carpenter Ants: Separating Facts from Fiction

No one ever wants to find out their home is infested with carpenter ants. Unfortunately, it’s more common than you might think. Like most homeowners, you probably don’t know much more about this bug other than that you don’t want them in your home. But learning the facts about carpenter ants can help make pest control in Alaska easier. Knowing the basics will not only make elimination easier, but it will also help you take the proper steps to prevent another infestation from happening.

Unfortunately, a lot of the information out there isn’t always completely correct. Luckily, the staff at Pied Piper Pest Control is here to help you separate fact from fiction when it comes to carpenter ants.

Fiction: Carpenter ants are just normal ants.

Fact: Carpenter ants are actually very different from normal ants you might find in your backyard. They’re much larger than most pest ants and can be distinguished by their heart-shaped heads. They can be either black, brown or red, whereas most regular ants are just black. They have large mandibles and tend to range from 3.5 to 13 mm long.

Fiction: Carpenter ants eat insulation and wood.

Fact: Actually, carpenter ants don’t eat insulation or wood at all! While it may look like they’re eating through the material, they are actually just excavating it to create a nest. They cut galleries into the wood grain to build their nests and to create pathways to different sections of the nest. The carpenter ant can create a well-established colony within everything from wood walls to roofs, windowsills and home insulation.

Fiction: Carpenter ants don’t do much damage.

Fact: Carpenter ants can actually cause just as much damage as termites. Their excavations can cause serious structural damage to your home. If gone undetected, their activities can result in thousands of dollars’ worth of structural damages.

Fiction: It’s difficult to spot an infestation.

Fact: Carpenter ants can easily be spotted by the small piles of sawdust left behind during their excavation process. Another indicator is seeing the bugs themselves. Spotting the winged ants means you have a problem. Don’t write off unknown sounds, as rustling noises are often a telltale sign of these ants excavating.

Fiction: It’s easy to exterminate a carpenter ant infestation.

Fact: It can be very difficult to kill off carpenter ants completely. The infestation will keep growing unless you are able to kill off the queen ant. Unfortunately, this can’t be done with a simple spray or fumigation. You’ll need the help of professional pest control in Alaska to rid your home of the infestation for good. An exterminator will find the nest, and then either remove or chemically treat it to prevent the ants from returning. They will then take the necessary steps to correct the moisture conditions that drew the ants to your home in the first place.

Carpenter ants don’t have to be a problem with the help of Pied Piper Pest Control. Call us today to learn more about our pest control services.

Categorised in: Pest Control

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