One pest that most people don’t give enough credit to in terms of the amount of damage and destruction they can cause is the carpenter ant. When you think of damage done to your wood structures from pests, you often think of termites. The truth is that carpenter ants can do just as much damage to your Hartford home. Identifying carpenter ants and understanding what problems they cause and how to prevent them are keys to keeping your home safe from this damaging pest.
Much like termites, carpenter ants like to make their home in any type of damp wood. One of the differences between termites and carpenter ants is that carpenter ants do not feed on wood. Carpenter ants tunnel. They build their colonies throughout your wood structures, clearing paths and hollowing out your wood beams and supports. When they do this, they cause your structure to weaken and can cause some serious damage to your home. They aren’t picky either, they’ll set up their colony in a woodpile in your yard, or in an old rotted structure and then establish satellite colonies in your eaves, in your deck or porch, and even in your window frames.
One of the best ways to prevent carpenter ants on your own is to be sure your house is properly sealed so they can’t get in. Be sure that doors and windows are closed and that there are no cracks or tears in screens. Repair any small holes or openings in the foundation or siding. Keep brush and landscaping away from the house so ants can’t use it as a bridge to get in. Another thing you can do is to remove any organic yard debris that they might like to call home, such as hollowed out tree stumps, fallen trees or logs, wood piles, and old construction remnants that are wood based. Remembering that carpenter ants don’t eat wood, you can try to eliminate their food source, which would be other insects and unsecured sugars and proteins.
As part of an ongoing pest control plan, American Pest Solutions can protect your Hartford, CT home. As much as you might try, prevention tips, sometimes it’s just not enough. The experts will utilize proven techniques to place a pest barrier around your home keeping not just carpenter ants, but other annoying pests out as well. You can call American Pest Solutions to do an evaluation of your home and have them assess your carpenter ant problem if you already have one or help you prevent one from forming in the first place.