When was the last time you checked your home for carpenter ants? Many people don’t give these pests a second thought. It doesn’t help that carpenter ants look similar to other ants that live in our area and that they build their nests in locations that can’t be seen easily. This is why we are here today, to help you identify these invasive and destructive pests around your Baltimore home. Here is everything you need to know to effectively control carpenter ants.

Step One: Know What Carpenter Ants Look Like

Carpenter ants may look similar to other area ants, but they have more differences than you might think. For one, they are the largest species of ants in North America and regularly grow to be up to ½” long. Their heads and mandibles are also larger than that of a typical ant. As for color, these pests can be red, black, or red and black. During certain seasons of the year, fully mature colonies of carpenter ants produce winged members. These swarmers are tasked with flying out and establishing new nests and may be found inside and around homes, wandering about.

Step Two: Learn How To Identify Signs Of An Infestation

There is more than one way to identify a carpenter ant infestation. To become an expert on spotting these pests, you have to know what signs they leave behind. Here are just a few to consider.

Holes In Wood: As carpenter ants tunnel through wood, they create little entry and exit holes. Although small, these holes are visible to the naked eye if you look in the right places.

Frass: Unlike termites that consume the wood they tunnel through, carpenter ants do not. To get rid of sawdust (frass), these pests push it slowly out of the entrance and exit holes of their tunnels. This frass often clings to walls and builds up in piles on the floor.

Rustling Noises: Although quiet, carpenter ants are not completely silent. If you press your ear up to a wall they are chewing through, you will be able to hear a soft rustling sound. This is the sound of them breaking wood.

Step Three: Put In Place Prevention Tips

If you thoroughly investigate your home and do not find any obvious signs of a carpenter ant infestation, your next step should be to put in place some prevention measures. Here are some great places to begin doing this around your Baltimore home.

  • Identify and seal holes, gaps, and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation, using a caulking gun or some liquid cement.
  • Address damage to weather-stripping, door sweeps, and window/door screens.
  • Keep your living areas clean and tidy.
  • Remove sources of water build-up around your property and fix leaky piping, fixtures, and gutters.
  • Repair or replace structural wood inside your home that is water-damaged, rotting, or in decay.
  • Remove dead stumps and decaying trees from your property.

Step Four: Hire A Professional

There is only one reliable way to control carpenter ants, and that is with professional pest control. At Pest Czar, we commit our time, energy, and resources to provide the absolute best pest control services possible for residents in the Baltimore area. If your home is in need of a detailed inspection or treatments to remove or prevent carpenter ants, we are your best choice for the job.

Call us today if you have any questions about pests and schedule a time to have your home and property treated for invasive and destructive carpenter ants.