If you’ve spotted ants in your home, your first task is to determine what type of infestation you have. Some ants are just annoying, some can leave a painful sting, and some can do serious damage to your home. With regard to that last point, you want to address carpenter ants right away if you discover them. They can undermine your home’s structural integrity and cost you a significant amount of money in repairs.
But many people are confused about what carpenter ants actually do. Here are six things you should know.
Carpenter ants are incredibly strong. They can carry between 10 and 50 times their body weight, and possess extremely strong jaws. Their determination matches their physical prowess.
Carpenter ants don’t actually eat wood. It’s a common misconception, but carpenter ants don’t actually eat wood. But they do chew through it in order to create their nests. It doesn’t really matter what they’re doing with it, though; chewed wood is damaged wood, and that’s your main concern.
Carpenter ants like any type of wood. They can and will nest in any type of wood, so don’t buy into the myth that treated wood is safe from carpenter ants. And while they’re more likely to prefer wet wood, because it’s easier to chew, these destructive little insects have been found nesting in dry wood and even drywall at times.
Carpenter ants can sting. It’s much less common than with other types of ants, but carpenter ants can and do sting people! And it hurts, because they inject formic acid into the wound.
Carpenter ants kill termites. Because they prefer the same type of habitat, carpenter ants and termites often compete. And just a few carpenter ants can wipe out an entire colony of termites! But that doesn’t mean seeing carpenter ants is a good sign, because they do just as much damage as their enemies.
Carpenter ants are difficult to eradicate. They have longer lifespans than some other pests, and are incredibly resilient. If you discover carpenter ants in your home, don’t waste time on do-it-yourself treatments, because every day means more damage to your home. Give us a call straight away and we’ll help you eradicate them quickly.