What You Should Know About Carpenter Ants and Carpenter Ant Traps

Are you want to know about carpenter ant traps? Carpenter ants are great wood-destroying insects that, if not taken care of, can cause significant damage to a home. If your home has signs of infestation by this type of pests, you better get some carpenter ant traps to prevent your property from harm. These ants can indicate a termite problem since they excavate through the wood in your home while they make their nest. They feed on other sugars and insects.

For that reason, if your property is infested by termites, the ants could be enjoying the meal while your structure endures double the damage. Generally, ants eat all the time in the day from sunset to midnight. You can hear their chewing through the walls if you listen carefully. These ants destroy wood by excavating and creating galleries. These areas don’t contain debris and are very smooth with a well-sanded appearance.

These ants make variable damage to a wood structure. And the longer a colony is in a structure, the greater the damage that can be done. If you have a structural wood that has been weakened, that could be an indication that carpenter ant damage can be severe. Just like you would rat pest control seriously, you should also seriously consider dealing with these ants thoroughly.

Best time to Look for Carpenter Ant Traps

Carpenter ants are commonly found in homes during spring. Although it can be difficult, it’s important to try and find out whether the ants are coming from an indoor or an outdoor next. The presence of these ants isn’t sufficient evidence to conclude that your home is having a nest. You might be able to make an accurate determination depending on when you first saw carpenter ants.

If you find these types of ants in your home at the end of winter or early spring, then you should know that the ants are coming from an indoor nest. But if you’re seeing activity later in the year, then it’s less likely that the nest is in the house.

Carpenter Ants during spring

Swarms are also seen during spring. Carpenter ants generate large numbers of males and queens towards the end of the summer. They come from nests the following spring for their nuptial flights. Once they mate, queens search for better sites to start new nests. When they land, their wings break off and each queen will try to build a new nest.

When nests are in the house, mating swarms will be trapped inside. If you find a lot of winged ants indoors is a certain sign that there are nests indoors and you can approximate the location of the colony.

However, if you find one to several winged queens, that isn’t evidenced enough that there’s a nest indoors. It’s highly likely that the queens have recently mated and entered the home in a search for nesting sites. Wingless queens that you find walking indoors are new queens that have just shed their wings but are still looking for nesting sites and they don’t indicate an indoor nest.

Carpenter Ants during winter

Mostly, carpenter ants that are found indoors during winter are a sure sign that there’s a nest indoor, except when ants are brought inside in firewood. Ants from firewood aren’t able to begin nests in homes and don’t damage wood structures on properties.

Workers may become active in winter if the nest gets enough warmth from sunlight from indoor heat. When carpenter ants are active during winter, they will be active at night as they search for moisture. You likely get into a room in your home early in the morning, and when you turn on the lights, see ants running for cover.

Common Places to Find Ants Indoors

Some of the common places to find ants indoors include:

• Sinks
• Cabinets
• Rolled-up towels
• Dishwashers
• Bathroom tubs
• Toilet areas
• Other areas where moisture is available

During a bright sunny day, carpenter ants may be found walking randomly through various areas of the house. It’s also possible to find ants nest in a house during winter but fail to notice. If the nest is available in an area that doesn’t get enough indoor sunshine or heat, the ants will remain inactive until spring.

Conclusion

You must consider contacting a professional pest control expert to inspect your home at least once a year for any kind of wood damaging insects. You can also purchase carpenter ant traps as soon as you notice a sign of ants in or around your property. That will prevent extensive damage and protect the structural integrity of your property.