The Types of Damage a Carpenter Ant Can Do

Pests in the home are never a good thing. They can cause damage to the home, they can be unsanitary, and they are just plain annoying. That being said, knowing a bit about carpenter ants can make them a little less taxing and can make dealing with them easier.

Carpenter Ants Aren’t as Bad as Termites

We have all heard of termites, and we know that they can do major damage to any area they infest. Carpenter ants are able to damage the wood that they are infesting as well. It can take years for a carpenter ant infestation to cause major damage, but they can certainly harm structures. Carpenter ants aren’t as bad as termites.

These ants are often found around dishwashers, sinks, and bathrooms. They often get into the home around areas where plumbing tends to leak. The reason for this is that they need the water, and they are going to choose the path of the least resistance to get inside. They also tend to choose moist wood that is easy to chew.

Termites will tend to chew into any wood that they can find. They will chew and chew and can greatly damage a home in a few months. Over the span of a year, they can severely damage a home to where the home needs to be rebuilt.

Carpenter Ants Are Extremely Dangerous

Carpenter ants are not a pest that is going to attack you or that is going to go out of their way to interact with humans or pets. They do have an irritant in their saliva that can cause a burning feeling, but the biggest threat they pose is to your home.

If you have a home with water damage or leaky plumbing, there is a fairly good chance that you may have to deal with carpenter ants. In homes with easy access, carpenter ants will take advantage of that easy access. If you want to prevent carpenter ants, there are a few things you can do.

First, if you have any old wood or compost piles close to your home, remove them. The ants will often start their colonies in the yard in these piles and move inside the home when the food runs out. Removing these piles makes it harder for ants to get to the house and makes it less likely for them to be in your yard.

Another thing you can do is make sure you are repairing and sealing up leaks or areas where ants can gain access to the home. If you find an infestation, it is always best to take the time to call an exterminator to get rid of them professionally. You may think you have gotten rid of them, but they can hide and come back time and time again if they are not exterminated fully the first time.

Categorised in: Pest Control

This post was written by Ken Perry