Are you familiar with carpenter ants and the damage they can cause in your home? Carpenter ants are not like other types of ants you encounter. They are often black, which frequently causes people to mistake them for the more familiar black ant. Carpenter ants range in size from ¼ to 3/8-inches. They vary in color from darkish brown or black to reddish. Some are even yellow. The name of this particular kind of ant comes from its habit of digging tunnels in wood, which they then use to build nests. Carpenter ants aren’t particularly dangerous to people. They will rarely bite a human and they don’t have venom. Carpenter ants aren’t even known to carry and transmit diseases, so they aren’t dangerous from a health standpoint.
a carpenter ant on food
What Are the Dangers of Carpenter Ants in My Saratoga County Home?
You don’t need to worry about carpenter ants being dangerous to you or your family’s health. Carpenter ants may occasionally bite a person, but it is not typical behavior. Even if they do, there is no venom to cause any type of allergic reaction. Carpenter ants have not been noted as disease-carrying insects either, so there isn’t a potential danger there. But, this doesn’t mean that carpenter ants aren’t a problem. The problem with carpenter ants is the issues they can cause in your home. While they aren’t as destructive as the dreaded termite, carpenter ants will cause similar damage to your Saratoga home, when left unattended. If you have carpenter ants in your home long enough, they will begin to compromise the structural integrity. A carpenter ant colony can contain up to 10,000 ants. Only a small portion of those will travel away from the colony to forage for food. The rest are at work making tunnels. Since carpenter ants don’t feed on the wood they burrow into, they will seek out another food source inside your home, and can cause contamination of food.
How to Prevent Carpenter Ants in My Saratoga Home
Carpenter ants are attracted to wood that is moist, particularly rotting wood. Logs, damp boards, rotting trees, tree trunks, and tree roots are all attractive to carpenter ants. They also like to nest in moist or decaying wood inside of homes. Near sinks in the bathroom, in moist wood behind walls, and under appliances are likely places you will find carpenter ant infestations in your home. There are some ways you can prevent carpenter ants from getting into your home.
- Keep the outside of your home free of debris. Keep wood stored well away from your home. Wood close to your home puts carpenter ants within reach of your home, where they will more easily find openings to access.
- Keep tree branches trimmed back and don’t allow them to overhang your home. Carpenter ants can climb trees and often build nests in trees.
- Overhanging branches can offer access to your home.
- Control moisture in your home. Moisture can seep into walls and wood and in turn invite carpenter ants to pay you a visit.
- Seal openings in your home. Caulk around the foundation of your home, fix screens that are broken, and find and seal gaps. The tiny carpenter ant may still make its way into your home, but this step can minimize some of the risk of getting carpenter ants in your home.
Contact Professional Help If You Suspect a Carpenter Ant Problem
Piles of wood shavings under window sills, near vents, or beside baseboards can be a sign of a carpenter ant infestation. Shed wings are another. You may also see winged ants appearing from crevices or hanging out on walls and ceilings. You may even hear noises behind the wall if you listen closely. Once you have carpenter ants in your Saratoga County home, it’s important to get professional pest control. Call Old School Pest Control in Saratoga County. Don’t risk costly damage to the structure of your home. Let us get rid of the carpenter ants in your Saratoga County home today.