Find out if carpenter ants are invading your home

Where Can You Find Carpenter Ants?

Carpenter ant infestations can occur indoors or out, and wood objects or structures are most vulnerable. It’s hard to find them when they are deep within walls or other hard-to-reach areas, so it may be easier to spot them near windows, doors, fireplaces, and other areas with access to the outside. Look for them in areas that are most susceptible to moisture—windows, roof eaves, decks, porches are popular places because damp wood is easier to bore through than dry. They are often found indoors near leaky sinks or tubs. Outdoors, they like to inhabit rotting tree stumps and wood piles.

Signs of a Carpenter Ant Infestation

Because they are builders, carpenter ants get their name honestly. Unfortunately, while building their nests they are causing damage to the structure in which they are making their home. Here are some things to look for when determining if you have an infestation:

Sawdust-like material (frass). As ants burrow through wood, they leave behind piles of wood shavings that may lead back to the nest.
Soft crunching or rustling noises can sometimes be heard inside walls or wooden structures.
The ants themselves. One of largest ant species found in the United States, carpenter ants can range in size from 3/8” to 1/2″. They are usually black, but can also be brown or reddish brown in color, and have segmented bodies with antennae. Worker ants are generally wingless.

Prevention

There are steps you can take to prevent these destructive pests from becoming uninvited guests.

Fix leaks in the roof or plumbing.
Make sure mulch, wood, and leaf piles are not up against the exterior of your home. Carpenter ants love to make their nests in piles of firewood, so be sure to stack wood away from the house and on a raised platform if possible.
Trim branches and limbs so that they don’t touch your home’s exterior, otherwise they can act as a bridge for ants to crawl from trees to the house.
Repair or seal cracks and crevices in your home so that they can’t be used for easy access.
Replace any decaying or rotting wood in window sills, doorways, or beams.
Remove dead trees or rotting tree stumps from your yard.

If you suspect you may have a carpenter ant infestation, call Green Pest Solutions at 855-312-7157 to arrange for an inspection by a trained professional.