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Are Carpenter Ants Eating My Home?!

14 January 2025

Are Carpenter Ants Eating My Home?

Carpenter ants are a common pest in Southern Ontario, and can cause significant damage to your home if left unchecked. Pest Protection Plus is here to help you identify, prevent, and treat carpenter ant infestations. One question people always ask is: “are carpenter ants eating my home?”.

 

What Are Carpenter Ants?

Carpenter ants are large, black or reddish-black ants that are typically between 6 and 13 millimeters in length. They are social insects that live in colonies, which can range in size from a few hundred to tens of thousands of individuals. Does this mean “are carpenter ants are eating my home?”

Where Do Carpenter Ants Usually Frequent in Residential Homes?

Carpenter ants prefer to nest in moist, decaying wood. In residential homes, they are often found in:

Wall voids: The spaces between the interior and exterior walls of your home provide an ideal environment for carpenter ants to build their nests.

Attics and crawl spaces: These areas are often poorly ventilated and can be susceptible to moisture problems, making them attractive to carpenter ants.

Around windows and doors: Carpenter ants may enter your home through cracks and crevices around windows and doors.

Underneath sinks and bathtubs: Leaky pipes and faucets can create moist conditions that attract carpenter ants.

Wooden structures: Carpenter ants may also nest in wooden structures such as decks, porches, and fences.

 

Continue reading to find the answer to “are carpenter ants eating my home?”

What Does a Carpenter Ant Infestation In My Home Look Like?

There are several signs that you may have a carpenter ant infestation:

Seeing ants: One of the most obvious signs of an infestation is seeing carpenter ants in your home. You may see them crawling on walls, floors, or ceilings.

Hearing rustling sounds: Carpenter ants make a rustling sound when they move around inside their nests. You may hear this sound coming from walls or other areas where they are nesting.

Finding sawdust: Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they excavate it to create their nests. This excavation produces a sawdust-like material called frass, which you may find near their nests.

Wood damage: Over time, carpenter ants can cause significant damage to wooden structures. You may notice small holes in wood, or wood that sounds hollow when tapped.

How Do Carpenter Ants Differ from Termites?

Carpenter ants and termites are both wood-destroying pests, but there are some key differences between the two:

Appearance: Carpenter ants are larger than termites and have a segmented body with a narrow waist. Termites have a straight body with no waist.

Wings: Both carpenter ants and termites have winged reproductive forms, but the wings of carpenter ants are different sizes, while the wings of termites are all the same size.

Frass: Carpenter ants produce frass, which is a sawdust-like material. Termites do not produce frass.

Feeding habits: Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they excavate it to create their nests. Termites eat wood.

Are Carpenter Ants Eating My Home?

No, carpenter ants are not eating your home. They are excavating wood to create their nests. However, this excavation can still cause significant damage to your home if left unchecked.

How to Prevent Carpenter Ant Infestations

There are several things you can do to prevent carpenter ant infestations:

Keep your home dry: Repair any leaks or moisture problems in your home.

Seal cracks and crevices: Seal any cracks and crevices around windows, doors, and foundation walls.

Remove wood debris: Remove any wood debris from around your home, such as firewood, lumber, and tree stumps.

Trim trees and shrubs: Trim trees and shrubs away from your home to prevent ants from accessing your roof or walls.

How to Treat Carpenter Ant Infestations If you have a carpenter ant infestation, it is important to contact a pest control professional. Pest Protection Plus can help you identify the source of the infestation and develop a treatment plan to eliminate the ants. Don’t let carpenter ants damage your home. Contact Pest Protection Plus today for a free consultation.

 

Click Here To Learn About Our Ant Services:https://pestprotectionplus.com/pest-control/ant-control-services/

 

Here is a helpful video on carpenter ants:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ1-prb0Ytk

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