Termites aren’t the only types of insects that cause damage to homes in SC. Carpenter ants can also do a considerable amount of damage that leads to costly repairs. Find out as much as possible about these bugs, so you can get Hilton Head carpenter ant treatment if needed.
Identifying Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ants are dark-colored or reddish ants that are larger than normal household ants. These ants are sometimes mistaken for termites, but they differ in several ways. Carpenter ants have thin waists, bent antennae and two pairs of wings that are different sizes. Termites have thicker waists, straight antennae and wings that are all the same length.
Carpenter Ant Behavior
Carpenter ants don’t hide in walls and other interior spots as termites do. In fact, it can be easier to detect infestations, since these ants move about openly as they search for food. Carpenter ants don’t feed on wood, but they do chew through it while digging tunnels and making their nests. You might find small piles of sawdust around your home if you have carpenter ant activity going on.
Carpenter Ant Colonies
Carpenter ants don’t always build nests inside wood. You can also find nests in soil on your property. These ant colonies include a queen and thousands of worker ants. In fact, over the course of a decade or so, colonies can have 2,000 workers or more. When colonies have been around for awhile, winged males and females leave to form new colonies. When you have an infestation in your home, prompt Hilton Head carpenter ant treatment is needed to lower the risk of damage that these large colonies can cause.
Dealing with Carpenter Ants
Carpenter ant control involves locating the nests they build and getting rid of them. Keep in mind that satellite colonies must also be found to make sure that these ants do not return. Finding nests can be difficult, since carpenter ants are mainly active during the night. They’re also able to travel a long way from their nest to search for food.
Even if you see carpenter ants in your home, they might not necessarily be living inside your walls. A professional technician can locate where these ants are coming from and take care of the nest, so they won’t return.
Effectively eliminating carpenter ants can be done in different ways. Chemical control involves using insecticide sprays or baits to destroy their colonies. These products must be used properly to ensure safety, so it’s best to have pest control professionals handle it. At Island Pest Control, our specially trained technicians are experts at finding carpenter ant nests and using safe methods of Hilton Head carpenter ant treatment in order to protect your home from additional damage.
Preventing Carpenter Ant Problems
You can do several things to keep carpenter ants away from your home. Since they often chew through moist wood to build tunnels, make sure that your home doesn’t have any leaks in the walls that could increase moisture. You should also check the exterior of your home for any possible entry points, and seal them up to prevent ants from getting inside. This includes areas around windows and doors, as well as vents and openings for utility lines.
Another way to keep your home safe from carpenter ants is by getting rid of any vegetation that comes into contact with the exterior, such as bushes, tree limbs and shrubs. This type of vegetation provides carpenter ants with a way to get to your home’s exterior, where they can look for cracks to gain entry.
If you have a carpenter ant problem in your SC home, please contact Island Pest Control for help. We offer reliable Hilton Head carpenter ant treatment to help protect your home from damage. Keep in mind that our technicians offer a 58-point inspection for SC homeowners.
