Carpenter ant workers and
swarmers (winged ants) are the most likely sign homeowners observe. The workers
may be observed foraging for food. Swarmers usually are produced when a colony
matures and is ready to form new colonies. These winged individuals often
indicate a well-established colony.
It’s
true that people don’t think about carpenter ants until discovering a few.
Some home or business owners may see carpenter ants and realize an army of
big black carpenters have indeed landed. A huge problem that can
be confirmed by a pest control professional. Another means of Carpenter
ants discovery is during the inspection prior to the sale of a house. The real estate
salesman should notify a pest control company to apply pesticides to both
the inside of a home or business. Also around the outside to exterminate
the carpenter ant infestation.
Carpenter ants actually
do not eat wood. The nests are enlarged by the carpenter ants tunneling
into wood, and causing the wood to weaken.A carpenter ant infestation within a
building usually means that there is a moisture problem. These critters are
often found around dishwashers, sinks, laundry areas and bathrooms especially
where plumbing leaks. Taking care of the source of that moisture makes the
structure less attractive to the ants. Carpenter ants can infest building
materials such as wood or foam insulation, and can occupy cavities like those
found in hollow doors or window frames. It’s important to note that
usually feed on dead foliage and other insects, the ants may be living
outside yet foraging indoors for food scraps or moisture.Almost always be a
result of the combination of water and building construction. Often much
more serious and expensive to correct. If you have these “serious”
problems, you must solve the reason why the ants are there, or just never get
rid of the problem. There are no shortcuts and no chemical is going to be
the magic bullet.
Evergreen
tree all round an area prone to carpenter ants damage then it is a good idea to
get an inspection done at least once a year. The average inspection by a
pest control professional will cost from $75 to $500 depending on the age and
size of the house or property. Sometimes a carpenter ants inspector will
perform the first inspection for free working under the assumption services
will wave the inspection fee.The average total cost for repair of carpenter
damage and complete eradication is $3,644. By this that
getting at least an annual inspection by an experienced inspector is an
economically sound decision
Yes. When nests are disturbed,
carpenter ants bite in defense. Due to the ants large size, the bite can
be painful and potentially break the skin. Carpenter ants also spray a
defensive chemical of formic acid, that can be sprayed into the bite
wound. Which increases the pain. The carpenter ants use an ability to
fight other insects and ant species when threatened.The
carpenter
ants bite and this results in a lot of discomfort. The pesky pests cause
damage to houses and buildings through the nesting process. Which gives
cause to have the infestation controlled. Due to the pests complex life
cycle and nest habits, it is best to contact a pest control expert if the
carpenter ant infestation is under suspicion within the home or building.
An
assessment needs to be done as find the extent of the problem and plan for
evicting the armies. It is crucial to locate the main colony. Up
to Seventy five percent of all main nests are found outside the home
or buildings. The carpenter ant nests may also be located inside walls,
in ceilings, under outdoor siding, in wood found near to the foundation.
By downspouts, roof gutters, in floors or in insulation. Begin by checking
the basement, near the foundation, on top of water pipes and electrical
lines.
Also
check the attic and crawlspace. Yes it’s time to call AMPM pest control to
take care of the problem.
To
eliminate carpenter ants, you have to be absolutely sure that it is carpenter
ants to begin with. Look for the following signs:
*
Presence of ants (workers or winged reproductives) – An occasional ant may be a
scout looking for food and may not indicate the presence of a nest, but
continuous or numerous ants are a sign of nesting.
* Frass
– Accumulating in piles or caught in spider webbing; has a finely-shredded
appearance. Do not confuse with small sawdust from construction, doors or
cabinets rubbing on one another, or drywood termite fecal pellets.
*Trails
– Carpenter ants will often form tight closely associated trails that can be
traced to the area of the nest. Many times trails can be tracing along carpet
edges, door frames, outside eaves, fence tops, telephone and power lines, etc..
*
Sounds – Rustling or tapping noises produced when disturbed ants rasp the substrate
with their mandibles or gasters or when excavating wood. If you put your ear up
to a hollow door and then scratch your fingers on the other side, the
scratching sound will give you a good idea of what carpenter ants sound like.
It’s time to make a decision to
find a company that is willing to do more than just apply chemicals. A
company with experienced pest control exterminators who can identify
structural problems that may be attracting carpenter ants or allowing
entry. A pest control company should be able to caulk or otherwise block
entry holes, and the technician should indicate carpentry or masonry
repairs that would help prevent a repetition of the problem.
How
effective is the spray for carpenter ants:
Sprays
will only kill the exposed worker ants. Spraying will have no effect on the
queens. The queens will lay more eggs, and since the queens will not be killed
by sprays, the number of eggs will grow and multiply and eventually outnumber
by many times the numbers of the original workers. That means your carpenter
ant colony is now several times larger.
Most chemical pesticide sprays tend to be very repellent to the ants. Chemical
or pesticide repellency simply means that the ants can sense the presence of
pesticides. The worker ants will simply avoid the chemical that you sprayed and
travel or trail around it. If the chemical is sprayed too close to the nest,
the queens will instruct the workers to pick up the eggs and move the nest
farther away from the pesticide! Usually, as a result of moving, the queens
will also instruct the workers to divide or “split” into several new nests.
This splitting of dividing of the carpenter ant nest is also called
“satelliting” or “budding”. After the new nests are established, the new queens
begin to lay more eggs and the entire carpenter ant system is divided and now
instead of a single nest there are several nests to deal with, making control
much more difficult.
AMPM
Exterminators
Professional pest control
company with exterminators for bed bugs, little black sugar ants,
carpenter ants, rat control, house mice, rodent control,birds,beetles,
moths, flies, termites, wasps,yellow jackets and hornets.Ampm Pest control
service takes pride in family and pet friendly effective pest control in
king county areas of Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, kirkland, Renton,
Everett, Bothell and Issaquah. Bedbugs extermination services, Mouse Control,
Rodent, Carpenter Ants, Spider control are available to residential
including single family residences, apartments,commercial including hotels,
restaurants, schools and industrial establishments including warehouses
and grocery stores.Attic and Crawlspace Rodent Restoration including
cleaning, sanitizing and insulation removal & repair after
rats,mice,squirrels,birds,bats Infestation.Find answers to questions
about cost facts, information, and discover pest control tips, It is much
easier, faster and cheaper to get rid of any pest.Every home is different
repair costs may vary.After years of experienced inspections,clients deserve
customized solutions for their pest problems. Learn about pest control
pricing process.
