While several things like water, mold growth, and wood rot, can destroy your home, carpenter ants can be terrible. Unfortunately, they are not only more destructive but they are also the most invasive pests. Their level of damage is perilous. They chew your house wood from the inside and by the time they are chewing the outside of your wood where you can see them, the damage will have already been done. If you do not know their early signs of infestation, they can surely ruin your home. Check out for the following signs of carpenter ant infestation:
The Presence of At Least a Single Ant
In case you spot a single carpenter ant in your home, you have all the reasons to be concerned. Interestingly, at their start of entry into your home wood, these ants send some workers to go gather food. The single and you will spot might therefore be one of the workers who are out to fend for food. Also, note that carpenter ants do not necessarily rely on your household food rather, they prefer getting a variety of foods outside your house. You should not, therefore, hunt out for them in your cabinets despite the size of the infestation. You should also know that carpenter ants are large in size, black in color, and have one node between their abdomens and thoraxes.
The Presence of a Carpenter Ant Nest
Upon settling in your home, the carpenter ants will establish a nest. If you see their nest in your home, therefore, beware you have a carpenter ant infestation. You can identify the nest by checking the availability of frass below the exit holes which they use to enter their tunnels. Remember, carpenter ants chew wood and thus cause outward bulges. Pest experts at Viking pest advise that when you see these signs, you should contact a carpenter ant exterminator to help you kill the pests because they can cause more harm to your family besides the home structure. They carry germs which when you come into contact with, can cause diseases. The frass can be seen in your basement areas and garage.
Can You Hear Some Rustling Noise in Your House Walls?
You should be aware that carpenter ants make some noise while burrowing through the wood in your house. The noise can sound like crinkles. The rustling is also associated with the transition of the carpenter ants from the inside of your walls. Carpenter ants are light-sensitive and thus you would often detect these sounds at night. It is also important that you take immediate action because the rustling sounds are proof that the carpenter ants have a very large colony in your walls and have already caused some significant damage.
The Appearance of Flying Ants
When you notice flying ants around your window panes both from within and without, then it is a clear indication that there is a nest of mature carpenter arts within your home already. At this point, you should beware that the flying ants are looking for suitable locations for more nests. You should thus contact pests specialists immediately to help you take control of the situation.
Weak Supports and Frames
Are your frames and supports weak? You probably have a carpenter ant infestation and unfortunately, the infestation is at its final stages. You failed to look out for early signs and at this point, your home is awaiting to have sloppy floors, bulging walls, stuck windows, and stuck doors. However, you will not get to this stage if you detect the very initial signs and treat the carpenter ants.
While carpenter ants are very hard to get rid of, detecting them at their early stages of infestation shall ensure they are treated before they cause more harm both to the people living in a home and to the home structure itself. Your home is part of your major life investments and therefore you should guard it by all means possible. Seek help from trained pest control experts.
