Carpenter ants pose a serious threat to any home. They will burrow inside wood, dig it out, and build a colony inside it. Then they will leave the colony periodically to look for food, and luckily, this is when you can catch them in the act. However, they do not always look for food indoors, so you have to keep an eye out for other signs of carpenter ant infestations. In this article, we’re going to go over these signs.
Seeing a Carpenter Ant
Carpenter ants stand out. They are quite large, much larger than other ants at half of an inch in length, they are black in coloration, and they have a large head with large jaws. You may see them crawling around in your kitchen, or you may spot them outside. Whenever you see large black ants, you should call over a pest control pro for an inspection.
Warning Signs
Besides seeing the ants themselves crawling around, you will be able to detect carpenter ant infestations by finding frass. As carpenter ants tunnel through wood and other materials, they generate a lot of waste. This waste, along with other types of waste in the colony, such as dead bodies, has to be disposed of. In order to do this, the ants will simply push it all out of the colony. However, frass can be difficult to spot, since it is sometimes pushed out of the colony inside wall voids, exterior locations, attic spaces or in the basement.
You then have kick-out holes, which are the holes used to evacuate the frass. They are quite small, but if you look at the surface of the wood, you can spot them with the naked eye. Often, if you look on the floor under the hole, you will find the frass.
Living in Areas That Are at Risk
Since carpenter ant infestations, like most infestations caused by wood boring insects, are so hard to detect, it’s best to have a regular pest inspection scheduled with a pest control company if you live in an area that is at risk. This inspection process will help detect carpenter ants, termites, and a variety of other pests that may be a problem. Contact us today if you suspect that you have a carpenter ant infestation, or if you need any pest control services. We will set up an appointment right away.