Customer Login
Customer Reviews
Next to termites, having black carpenter ants in your home is the scariest thing that can happen to the wood on your property, but maybe not for the reason you think. There are things you can do to avoid carpenter ant damage to your home. First and foremost, you need to be aware of what carpenter ants look like and how they make their presence known. Learn more about the signs of carpenter ants in West Palm Beach, the damage they can do, and how to completely get rid of carpenter ants with pest control in West Palm Beach.
Signs Of Carpenter Ants
With termites, a primary sign of their presence is their frass which looks like wood shavings. These are actually very small wood-colored pellets that are the feces of the termites. Carpenter ant frass in your home looks a little different because the ants don’t actually eat the wood they’re shaving away. Carpenter ants leave wood shavings, bits of insulation or soil, and pieces of dead ants. While this is still considered frass, you cannot actually see the feces of the carpenter ants, just the mess they make while making their galleries.
Galleries in the wood are another sign of black carpenter ants in your home. Where they chip away at the wood, they create smooth divots. These ruts in the wood are clean and free of debris.
The Extent Of Damage Carpenter Ants Can Do To Your Property
Carpenter ants work a lot slower than termites in destroying wood. What might take termites months to eat through would take years for carpenter ants, and while termites may target undamaged wood, carpenter ants primarily target fungus-ridden, water-softened wood.
While it’s highly unlikely for a colony of carpenter ants to do enough damage to destroy a home, they can hasten your favorite tree’s journey to the grave, and with enough time, put it in danger of falling over onto your house. Carpenter ants in trees in the yard can also travel from the overhanging branches to other hard-to-reach wood on your house.
Those soggy window panels, siding, and maybe even the wood sheathing around your roof are in danger of collapsing or breaking as the integrity of the wood is chipped away.
How To Completely Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants
To completely get rid of carpenter ants, your best course of action is to trust the professionals at Empire Pest Defense. Not only can we advise you on the damage that’s already been done, but we can assess your home for risks that might invite further infestations. If you see carpenter ant frass in your home or carpenter ants in trees in the yard, call Empire Pest Defense right away. Don’t wait until the structural integrity of the infested wood is uncertain. Call Empire Pest Defense for a free inspection to check for carpenter ants in West Palm Beach.
How To Keep Carpenter Ants From Coming Back
After letting the professionals get rid of the infestation, the best way to avoid carpenter ant damage to your home is with prevention. Do this by keeping your yard and property free of food and by maintaining the trees and exterior wood, so they aren’t attractive homes for ants.
- Store outdoor trash in sealed containers away from the home.
- Don’t leave pet food outside.
- Clean up food or trash spills immediately.
- Cut away or treat dead wood on trees.
- Replace rotting wood around your home.
Take good care of your home and property, and carpenter ants should avoid making their nests in your siding and trees.