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Carpenter ants are a year-round problem for homeowners in Northern Illinois. If these tiny insects invade your home, they could cause a lot of costly damage. If you see any ants on your property, Pest Control Consultants can help you out. We provide exceptional pest control in St. Charles and have years of experience dealing with carpenter ants. Here is a look at everything you need to know about carpenter ant infestations.
How To Tell If It's Carpenter Ants On Your Property
The black carpenter ant is the most common species found in St. Charles. This type of ant is larger than other species of ants, usually measuring around ⅝ of an inch long with a black body.
Carpenter ants can look like several other species. However, some telltale signs will help you determine if you have carpenter ants on your property. Some of the signs to look for include the following:
- Ant droppings: Carpenter ants leave droppings that are a combination of wood particles and fecal matter.
- Wood dust: If you have a carpenter ant infestation, you will notice piles of wood shavings that look like sawdust around your doors, baseboards, and other areas that have wooden objects.
- Long ant trails: Carpenter ants will travel miles searching for the perfect place to live. If you see long trails of ants stretching across your yard and leading to your home, you have carpenter ants.
- Discarded wings: Some of the carpenter ants, called swarmers, have wings they will lose when they mate. If you see small, white wings around your door and window sills, you should have your home inspected for carpenter ants.
Carpenter ants live in large colonies. If you see just one carpenter ant on your property, there is a good chance that you have several more hiding out nearby.
The Damage Carpenter Ants Can Create
Carpenter ants are similar to termites because they both like to consume wood. Ordinarily, a carpenter ant will eat wood that is dead and rotten. However, when looking for a place to build a colony, they will try to find a sturdy, viable slab of wood.
Carpenter ants will burrow into the support beams and other wooden parts of your house. You can typically find between 10,000 and 50,000 carpenter ants living together in one colony. With this many ants living inside one wooden structure, you could experience weakened support beams and other severe structural damage to your home.
Why Home Remedies For Carpenter Ants Don't Work
It can be exceptionally difficult to get rid of carpenter ants on your own. These tiny insects can live deep inside your wooden structures, which can be challenging for most people to access.
Also, a lot of DIY carpenter ant control solutions only focus on one part of the problem. The various chemicals and holistic treatments on the market today only target adult ants, and usually just the swarmers. To reach the eggs, larvae, and other adults that spend most of their lives in the colony, you will need professional help.
How To Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants For Good
If you are experiencing a carpenter ant infestation in your St. Charles home, give us a call today. At Pest Control Consultants, we offer a wide range of pest control solutions. We will perform a thorough inspection of your home and property and come up with a comprehensive plan that will eliminate the carpenter ants from your property for good. Don't forget to ask about our same-day service options when you call!
