Customer Login
Reviews
Pests have a lot of unique features that make defeating them difficult. For instance, most insects and creatures have multiple subspecies. While there may be differences among size and color, that’s not all. Variation can exist along with eating habits, behavioral patterns, and preferred habitat. The most important separations are with potential risks. All these facts apply to ants.
No matter the species, all ants are a threat to human health. It’s because they harbor innumerable amounts of germs. Once they contaminate food and surfaces, you or someone else in your Eagle home may get sick. Viruses and salmonella are just two of the things these bugs communicate. Many ant groups pose further danger. Case in point, carpenter ants can demolish buildings because they wreck wood. Learn what motivates these insects and how you can stop them with RAM Pest Control.
How Do Carpenter Ants Operate? What Are the Hazards?
When carpenter ants target wood, they ruin it by digging tunnels and making nests in it. They usually gravitate to logs, decaying tree bark, and lumber. To enter your domicile, they’ll crawl through holes in foundations, vents, and utility lines. Overhanging tree branches give them access to rooflines. Honeydew secretion from aphids and fellow bugs is what they feed on. Once indoors, they’ll also fill themselves with meat, proteins, sugary foods, and pet meals. Given their diet, the presence of carpenter ants hints at a comprehensive pest problem.
The bases and walls of your home will start to falter as carpenter ants work from the inside and out. Evidence of significant damage will eventually be visible. Not much separates these bugs from termites, beyond the fact that their overall pace is slower. The repair bill will likely be the same. Another similarity is that you can’t expect to see the pests coming. They might run out of a surface opening if you tap on a foundation. Keeping your eyes peeled for infestation signs is paramount such as:
-
Seeing heaps of ant body parts and wood shavings
-
Finding the discarded wings of swarmers
-
Hearing rustling and clicking behind walls
-
Having walls that sound hollow
Carpenter ants are known for being bigger than many of their counterparts, sitting at 0.25 to 0.50 of an inch long. The vast majority are black, but you’re liable to see several in brown, orange, yellow, red, or reddish-black. Workers in the colony stand out with their large mandibles that they use for wood shredding. Reproductive swarmers are winged and flee from nests during the mating season. They’re often caught near light sources.
Is There a Way to Prevent Carpenter Ants?
Take these steps to fend off carpenter ants:
-
Seal gaps in foundations, caulk, paneling, windows, doors, and utilities.
-
Attach weather stripping and sweeps to windows and doors.
-
Fix leaks and moisture complications immediately; especially those impacting wood.
-
Remove rotting trees and wood.
-
Use airtight containers for food and trash storage.
-
Vacuum carpeting and wash dishes frequently.
-
Distance free wood and greenery from the property by two feet.
-
Contact RAM Pest Control if you have critters carpenter ants consume.
How Will RAM Pest Control Handle Carpenter Ants?
Carpenter ants are challenging to eradicate independently. First, they can be tough to see. Second, they procreate quickly. Third, they have hard-to-reach hiding spots. Commercial insecticides won’t do the trick because many are incredibly weak or toxic. They’re not worth the money or gamble. It’s best to bring in RAM Pest Control.
Our experienced technicians will apply safe and potent treatments aimed at exterminating carpenter ants. You won’t find our solutions at the store. Return visits and same or next-day services are available! Get a free inspection when you call us today at RAM Pest Control!
