Previously in the Ultimate Guide to Carpenter Ant Removal we learned about the carpenter ant basics and how to identify this ant, now we’ll take a look at how you can spot carpenter ants in your building. Remember, carpenter ants are tricky to control, so if you’re unsure what to do give us a call and one our ant control technicians will help you out.
How To Spot Carpenter Ants at Home
Carpenter ants are usually easy to spot when they appear in a home. These structurally damaging insects are unmistakably large and usually black in colour. The challenge sometimes in identifying and locating carpenter ants is that their nests usually reside in exterior walls of a structure, showing no signs on the inside of a home. It’s always best to have a trained eye properly inspect for carpenter ants.
Check out this image shot from one of our technicians. Much bigger that your standard pavement ant aren’t they?
Major colony of carpenter ants pouring out of a nest during one of Westside Pest Control’s Carpenter Ant Treatments
Ever see bits of sawdust clinging to cobwebs on the side of your house, or resting on the concrete below the fascia?
Well, bits of sawdust-like material are often an indicator of carpenter ants or termites. It’s called frass, and it’s a surefire way to tell that one of these two pests has invaded your home. Of the two, the termites are the nastiest when it comes to wrecking your home, but carpenter ants can do significant damage as well if left to their own devices for enough time.
Carpenter ants carve out beautiful tunnels in wood, the results is this residue called Frass.
Carpenter Ant spoils (frass) unearthed during a renovation
–> Need Help Removing Carpenter Ants From Your Home? Get a Free Quote <–
Where to look for the traces of carpenter ants?
Have you ever had a leak? Or, do you have humidity problems in some parts of your home? Start there.
Bathrooms, basements, dryer rooms, any room that could experience moisture problems. There are a number of other things you can explore if you are trying to located a carpenter ant nest
If you are trying to locate a carpenter ant nest indoors, you could also try following the ant trail, as well as listening closing to the walls – place your ear against the wall and knock, and listen out for a rustling sound.
As their name indicates, carpenter ants are capable of boring into wood doors, windows, trim, cabinets and other wood materials to build a nest. Typically they’ll be located inside of walls, making them very hard to get rid of.
Outside of the home, tree stumps and old, rotting logs are perfect spots for nests and they can also be located under stones too.
When are they most active?
Carpenter ants in the Metro Vancouver region are generally most active between April and October, although they can groggily appear as early as late January.
Parent nests must maintain a good level of moisture for the queens eggs to survive. A parent (or primary) nest can have many satellite nests. Satellite nests do not contain eggs and therefore do not require moisture. This enables carpenter ant colonies to have multiple satellite nests within an individual structure.
Spotting ants during the winter months at home could actually be the sign of a major structural infestation. It means that there could be a colony somewhere in your home, likely in a warm, moisture rich area trying to ride out the winter!
If you spot these ant in spring or summer, we’ll first need to determine where they are coming from. if you spot one, follow him and see where he leads you to. If you could see them on a regular basis during the spring then it’s time to take action!
Spotting a large number of winged ants inside of your home is a clear sign that a nest exists in your home.
Did they appear and then disappear?
Dont be fooled!
The truth is the carpenter ants don’t just “disappear”. Because of the warmer weather, the ants begin foraging outside rather than inside the house but the nest could still located inside. Westside does free Carpenter Ant inspections, so chat with us today to find out more information.
How do they get in?
Carpenter ants can enter the home a number of ways.
Typically it’s through the basements, roof, bathrooms, really anywhere where moisture has built up possibly from leaky pipes where water has dampened the wood. They also can climb in via cables, shrubs, gutter and power lines, or along tree branches which are in contact with the house.
Check out this video snapped from one of our techs, and watch these ants make their way to work!! :)
Learn about carpenter ant control and removal
The Ultimate Guide to Carpenter Ant Removal is a collection of helpful resources for homeowners to educate themselves on everything carpenter ant related. Read more of our resources and tips for managing carpenter ant problems at home.
–> Next Up, learn how to locate a carpenter ants nest
Need help with ant removal?
Westside Pest Control is the no1. Ant Control company in the lower mainland. In addition to Carpenter ants, we also treat for Fire Ants and Pavement Ants. If there is a need for professional help with an infestation contact one of the team today on 604-559-9060, we would be happy to help.
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