If you hear rummaging sounds in your house in the middle of the night, don’t contact an investigator you probably simply need a pest control professional. The fluttering sounds might be caused by a carpenter ants infestation, which is heard through the house’s woodwork and walls. 

 

What exactly are carpenter ants?

Carpenter ants in the Lower Mainland  acquire their name from their preference for nesting in wood, whether inside or outdoors. It is recommended to employ an exterminator to get rid of carpenter ants. These ants may cause extensive structural damage to your property if they are located in moist wood or timber that has been harmed by other pests.

 

But how did the carpenter ants come inside your home in the Lower Mainland?

Here are some of the possible access ways for carpenter ants into your home:

 

  1. These insects search for critical access sites, such as kitchens, where worker ants can forage for food.
  2. Other entry places for ants include bathrooms, rooftops, and basements where dripping pipes soften baseboards.
  3. If your yard has a carpenter ants infestation, these pests can potentially enter by crawling through power wires or tree branches and contacting the home.

 

Carpenter ants in the Lower Mainland produce what kind of damage?

 

They might be discovered throughout the house if they’ve utilised your kitchen or bathrooms as access points. They can cause the following types of damage:

 

  • They can crawl through a home’s interior foundation if the wood has been weakened by water. Tunnelling through wood can deteriorate it, causing structural and aesthetic harm to your property.
  • If an infection goes unchecked, it may quickly multiply.
  • Carpenter ants bite; the stings are severe but do not cause diseases. 

 

How can you tell if you have an ant problem?

To minimise damage to your property, it is critical to detect a carpenter ants infestation early on. A regular pest check is required to avoid infestation and property damage. Here are a few warning signals to look out for:

 

  • Worker ants may leave the colony to obtain food, so you may encounter them in the kitchen.
  • You might find abandoned ant wings near windows and doors.
  • Carpenter ants burrow into wood and leave behind wood shavings known as frass, which can be found near doors and windows.
  • You may discover little, circular holes in your wood, indicating a carpenter ants infestation. If the infestation is not detected, they may entirely destroy the structural architecture of your home, leaving your walls empty.
  • Carpenter ants may rustle through woodwork or walls when digging into wood or communicating with other pests in the colony. Tap any spots where you suspect an infestation, then observe.
  • A carpenter ant infestation might be confused with a mouse infestation. Mice are significantly larger, make a lot more noise, and deposit little black rice-sized droppings. If you notice these droppings, you should think about contacting a mice control company.

How may a carpenter ant infestation be avoided?

Prevention is always better than treatment when it comes to pest control. You can keep carpenter ants at bay by doing the following: 

 

  • If you reside in a location with a lot of moisture in the air, use a dehumidifier.
  • Continue to inspect your property for leaky pipes and to ensure that the gutters are functioning correctly.
  • Ensure that your tree branches or plants do not touch the side of your house if you have a large lawn or yard – carpenter ants use these places to access your house. 

 

Which is the best method for dealing with a carpenter ant infestation?

The first step in eliminating a carpenter ant infestation is to identify the nest.

If you believe the infestation has not yet grown, or if you are awaiting the arrival of a pest control specialist, you can take the following steps:

 

  • By spraying an insecticide on the colony, you may exterminate the infestation.
  • Insect bait can be used as a remedy. If one ant consumes the bait, it will return it to the colony, where it will be shared with the other ants, killing the colony as a whole.
  • Cover the carpenter ant colony with bug dust and observe for a few days to determine if they behave.

If you believe you have a carpenter ant infestation that is out of control, it is better to leave it to professional pest control professionals rather than attempting to exterminate it yourself. Carpenter ant colonies can spread quickly, causing structural and esthetic damage to your property.

If you’re searching for long-term ant control and eradication in the lower mainland, ASM Pest Control‘s team of qualified controllers can help. With years of pest control knowledge, households and businesses rely on us for a dependable ant control service with long-lasting results at an affordable price.