Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are a larger ant that will do some real damage to your home. Carpenter ants are very common in Virginia and can, if left untreated, cause structural damage to your house. Carpenter ants typically live in dead or dying timbers in the forest but if they find a suitable environment in your home, they will move right in. They will hollow out timbers in your home to make galleries in which they will make more carpenter ants. Carpenter ants are large and red to black in color. They are more active at night and if they are in a wall you will be able to hear them. Call today for a free inspection if you think you have carpenter ants or an issue with any ant that is invading your space.

Brown Exterminating Co. services Waynesboro, Fishersville, Staunton, and Lexington Virginia areas in Augusta county and Rockbridge county Va.

Structural Issues Due To Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are one of the most destructive insects in the Augusta County area next to termites. Area home and business owners are possibly more likely to face an invasion of carpenter ants than termites. Although carpenter ants do not eat wood they carve out living quarters at an alarming rate.

Carpenter ants get their name, as you may have guessed, because they excavate wood in order to build their nests, leaving hollowed-out tunnels which if in a building will eventually weaken the structural integrity. Carpenter ant colonies require a source of water to survive, and are found in wet, decayed wood such as dead limbs and tree stumps. Inside a building structure, they can be found in or near damp, poorly ventilated spaces such as crawl spaces, attics and basements. While carpenter ants don’t eat wood, if living in the wooded structure of your house, could cause structural damage that is very expensive to fix. Carpenter ant colonies will swarm. You will notice many winged reproductive ants called swarmers. They will fly to a new location to start new colonies.

Carpenter Ant Control

To successful control a carpenter ant infestation will depend on eliminating the parent colony, which is could be located outdoors. Locating and treating as many carpenter ant nests as possible is the key to controlling the invasion going on inside your home. A couple things you can do to keep carpenter ants from invading your home;

• Store firewood away from your house
• Trim and get rid of dead tree limbs
• Remove stumps and lumber from around the house
• Seal any pipe leaks
• Fix leaks in your roof
• Remove any possible water source carpenter ants need to survive inside your home.

Ant Control. Professionally.

Over the counter ant pesticides can work well if used properly. But multiple treatments, and knowledge of exactly what type of ant, is the most effective method. Self treating may disperse them into multiple colonies making the ant invasion worse. That’s why calling Brown Exterminating is the best solution for killing ants and keeping them from coming back. We have trained and licensed professionals to inspect your home for ants, identify the ant, and recommend the best solutions based on the type of ant invading your house.

Contact Brown Exterminating today for a free inspection.