There are lots of pests in Los Angeles that invade homes by crawling or flying indoors. Carpenter ants are one of the few that do not need a door, window, crack, or crevice to find their way inside. These invasive insects chew their homes into structural wood, making entrance and exit points that allow them access to interior spaces. If you are looking for a way to identify, prevent, and control these destructive insects, here is everything you need to know to keep your Los Angeles home safe from carpenter ants.
Where Carpenter Ants Build Their Nests
Most species of ants that live in our area build their nests underground and invade homes by crawling through exterior gaps, cracks, and openings. Carpenter ants are a bit different. These pests will chew their homes into structures of softened wood. Wood becomes softened when it is affected by water and it rots or starts to decay. If your home’s wood is affected in this way, then it is susceptible to a carpenter ant infestation.
Are Carpenter Ants As Destructive As Termites?
Carpenter ants are not as destructive as termites. This is because of two main reasons. The first is that carpenter ants do not eat the wood they nest inside. They expand as necessary to make room for new colony members. The second reason carpenter ants are less destructive is that they are easier to identify. To stay fed, these large, red, black, or red and black ants will invade living areas and scavenge for food in places like under couches, on countertops, and inside pet bowls--so they are likely to be seen. Termites stay hidden within the wood they are infesting. This does not mean that carpenter ants are not destructive. If you do not address an infestation of these pests quickly, the repair costs will be pricey.
Some Ways To Identify Carpenter Ants
The easiest way to identify carpenter ants is to see them in or around your home. This sign, however, doesn’t always show up at the beginning of an infestation. Some other ways to know if your home is at risk or under attack by carpenter ants include looking for pin-sized entrance and exit holes running through your home’s structural wood, checking the condition of your wood to see if it is water-damaged, rotting, or in decay, and looking around your property for fallen trees, stumps, and other wood-based items that are being chewed up by these pests.
Prevention Tips For Carpenter Ants
Keeping carpenter ants away from your home is important. If you are confident that these pests are not already inside, causing trouble, here are some prevention tips to keep them away.
- Use a caulking gun or some liquid cement to fill in holes, gaps, and cracks in your home’s exterior foundation.
- Remove dead stumps and fallen trees from your property.
- Address moisture issues in and around your home by fixing leaky pipes, cleaning out your gutters, and removing sources of water buildup.
- Repair or replace wood around your home that is water-damaged, rotting, or in decay.
When To Call A Professional About Your Carpenter Ant Problems
When it comes to destructive pests like carpenter ants, it is best not to leave your home’s protection up in the air. To ensure these pests stay outside where they belong, hire the experts at A Step Above Pest Control & Termite. We will thoroughly inspect your home and property for these destructive insects and provide you with some amazing options to handle any problems we find.
Contact our team today if you have any questions about carpenter ants or our pest control plans and find a time to have your Los Angeles property serviced.