Look for the telltale signs. Large black ants foraging for food in or around your house, large winged ants called “swarmers” indicating a well-established colony, wood shavings or sawdust like residue in house, faint rustling sounds in walls. Carpenter ants may nest inside or outside your home. Finding some in your home does not necessarily mean that you have an active infestation. However, if you see them in the springtime it is wise to schedule an inspection ASAP.
Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat wood but they bore it out as nesting sites. However both insects are highly destructive! They love honeydew produced by aphids so sometimes eliminating aphids from plants close to your home is advised.
Identify and reduce high moisture areas in or around your house. Damp wood is a prime attractant; remove any rotting wood including wooden door frames, landscape timbers, wood piles and fascia boards. Look for moisture around sinks, dishwashers etc. Make sure gutters are cleaned, remove over hanging tree limbs and shrubs that touch your house, inspect shrubs for Aphids. Seal foundation cracks. Have a professional inspection since prevention is easier than extermination.
Find the nest locations – both parent colonies and satellite colonies. They should be identified by performing a thorough inspection. In some cases not all nests may be located. Each program is individually tailored based on the inspection. Then a combination of baiting and void/outdoor spraying may be employed using professional grade, proven materials. Once eliminated, we recommend quarterly preventative inspections and treatment as necessary. These are protective applications around the exterior of your home that help keep carpenter ants from coming back. These applications are safe for children, pets and plants.
Many pest control pros believe carpenters are the most difficult pest of all. Armed with decades of experience and professional formulations they can still take many hours and treatments to completely exterminate. We are often called in after homeowners have sprayed random pesticides killing the seen ants but scattering the satellite nests. Not everyone is willing to spend hours in attics and crawl spaces outfitted in rubber gloves, respirators and protective coveralls. In this case give us a call and leave the details to us.
Please Click Here to see our entire MD, VA, and WV coverage areas.