Carpenter ants and the damage they can inflict on your home – Homeowners in Tennessee are pretty familiar with termites and the extensive damage they can do. However, there is another insect very similar to the termite that can inflict thousands of dollars into property damage, this is the carpenter ant. These ants are relatively larger than your usual house ant and have large front mandibles that allow them to break down wood. If these insects aren’t treated they can quickly become an infestation and destroy your property.
How To Identify Carpenter Ants?
“With more than 20 subspecies of carpenter ants found throughout the United States, it can be difficult to identify the army of invaders accurately in your home or business. Nonetheless, they are typically either black or dark brown, with large jaws for chewing through wood.”
They typically measure between 3/8 and ½ of an inch. As mentioned, before they are very similar to termites and very often can be mistaken for them. Winged Carpenter ants look almost identical to winged termites. Making it very difficult to properly identify what pest is causing damage to your home.
Carpenter Ant
Where Do They Live?
When finding carpenters ants in your home, their nests will primarily be found in moist or decayed wood. Decaying wood in your house can happen for a variety of reasons. It could be because of poor air circulation or built-up moisture in one section of the home. Typical the location for carpenter ants’ nest in the home include:
- Behind bathroom tiles.
- Around tubs, sinks, showers, and dishwashers.
- Under roofing, in attic beams, and under subfloor insulation.
- In hollow spaces such as doors, curtain rods, and wall voids.
Fun or Maybe Not So Fun Facts About Carpenter Ants
They can carry up to seven times their body weight with just their front mandibles!
Carpenter ants can spray a defensive chemical of formic acid. They tend to spray this acid into the bite wound after they have bitten someone, this further increases the pain. This method of attack is one of their primary ways of acquiring food.
They will collect resin for their nest. This helps to disinfect it!
Besides just disinfecting their nest, they will also clean it out. This includes removing unnecessary debris or dead ants within the nest.
Here at U.S. Pest, we have certified pest professionals who have years of on-the-job experience handling and disposing of carpenter ants. Our services are pet and child-friendly, and we will help to quickly eradicate carpenter ants. Compared to other pest control companies, our services are safer and have been proven to be more effective. There is no need to wait till one of the kids gets bit, call today at 615-822-8500 to get a free qoute!