Contrary to popular belief carpenter ants do not have any interest in consuming wood, unlike termites. Rather, carpenter ants use their mandibles to construct an interaction network inside of wooden structures by tunneling and digging their way into it including mulch outside. Carpenter ants can have devastating consequences when they decide to move inside. They usually are thousands in number and can cause significant damages in a relatively short amount of time. It is best to contact professional carpenter ant exterminator Toronto in the Greater Toronto Area to declare your home ant-free as soon as possible!
Carpenter ants are sneaky buggers, and they can be very difficult to detect. This is why it is important to inspect certain areas of your home regularly. These areas normally reveal visible signs of an infestation early.
Carpenter ants are notorious for attacking wood structures in your home. Looking for damp areas or leaks in your home is important. Carpenter ants are more likely to attack vulnerable wood-rotting due to the moisture of passage of time. It’s rare to find them hollowing dry wood.
The most vulnerable structure is wood that is in direct contact with the ground. And just like termites, carpenter ants will take advantage of entry points into buildings. When you are inspecting wood for infestation, look for frass or carpenter ant sawdust. If the sawdust is seen underneath a hole, it’s normally a sign of a fresh entry. This is why it is important to get into a habit of inspecting the exterior of the property and wood structures.
Remember, if the infestation took time a while ago, there would be no sign of frass indicative of entry. You will, however, notice damage to wooden structures. If left to thrive, carpenter ants will cause significant damage compromising the structural integrity of a building. If your infestation has been around for some time, the damage could be of enormous proportions.
Now that you know where to check for carpenter ant damage let’s look at the most common problems caused by a carpenter ant invasion. Carpenter ants, unlike termites, do not feed on the wood structures that they invade. Instead, they hollow tunnels and galleries they use to move around. When they make a nest inside a wooden structure, it leads to serious hollowing.
According to reports filed by insurance companies, carpenter ants have the capability of causing as much damage to your property in a year as natural disasters. If their infestation goes undetected, they could significantly compromise the structural integrity of your building. Repairs are estimated to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The most definitive sign of their infestation always involves spotting piles of sawdust. This evidence is left behind since carpenter ants do not eat the wood they chip out. Water stains on the wood are also a potential sign of an ant infestation. When the ants damage to wood, water begins to sip in, soaking into the interior of the house. The water that sips in contributes to the damage already caused by the ants.
When inspecting for ant damage, don’t restrict your search to ground wooden floor structures or wooden structures in contact with the ground. Once the insects get access, the infestation spread very quickly throughout your property.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread and people have taken measures to practice social-distancing. We at The Exterminators – Pest Control Toronto have taken it upon us to make you feel at ease. For ant treatments we do not use any toxic chemicals that will need anybody to leave their house. Additionally upon request we will wear protective suits to make you feel at ease.
