Signs Of Carpenter Ants In Your Sioux Falls Home

Sharing your home with insects and pests of any kind is probably not something you imagined when you first moved into your home, especially since they don’t pay rent. Even pests that don’t carry diseases or bite are not what you want to wake up next to or share your food with. Finding carpenter ants in your Sioux Falls home may not seem like a big deal since these ants don’t bite, but they are likely causing structural damage that is much worse than dealing with a bug bite.

Olson’s Pest Technicians provides effective ant control and pest control in Sioux Falls. Leave it to the experts to come to inspect your home for signs of carpenter ants.

What Carpenter Ants Look Like

Carpenter ants can look similar to drywood termites, confusing some people. It can be even harder to distinguish between the two during the spring and fall months when winged carpenter ants are flying around looking for new nesting places.

Here is what to look for to help determine if you have carpenter ants in your Sioux Falls home rather than termites: 

• Carpenter ants are typically ¼ to ½ an inch long.
• They have noticeable waists, six long legs, and bends in their antennae.
• They are black or dark brown.

The best way to differentiate between the two is by calling pest control professionals to come and inspect your home and property. Olson’s Pest Technicians are experts at identifying the difference in insects and the species and providing ant pest control to get rid of carpenter ants in your home.

Where Carpenter Ants Hide

Carpenter ant colonies can house thousands of ants, so knowing where they like to hide is paramount to finding out if you are sharing your home with them.

They love moisture, so a few of their favorite spots include:

• Tree stumps
• Piles of firewood
• Damaged and decayed wood
• Around sinks and bathtubs
• Near roof leaks 
• Poorly sealed window and door frames

As previously stated, carpenter ants don’t eat the wood. These ants chew through the wood to make hollow spaces for their nests, so anywhere in your home that is already hollow, such as hollow columns on your front porch, make great homes for these insects. Get rid of carpenter ants the minute you notice them or carpenter ant frass in your home. This usually means they already have nests and are inflicting damage to your property.

What Carpenter Ant Damage Looks Like

Even though they are chewing on the wood in and around your home, the potential structural damage from carpenter ants is usually not as serious as damage from termites. However, the longer you ignore the issue, the worse the damage will be.

Since these insects hollow out wood for their nests, carpenter ant frass in your home is one of the most apparent signs of carpenter ants. Frass is piles of shredded wood fragments resembling sawdust that contains dead ants and pieces of insects that the carpenter ants have eaten. These piles will be located where ants have entered the wood and are an excellent indicator that a nest is close by.

Seeing external signs of damage is highly unlikely, but you may notice tiny holes in the wood around your window and door frames. This can be another sign that carpenter ants have chosen to enter the wood in your home.

How To Deal With Carpenter Ants

The most effective ant control is performed and monitored by the professionals at Olson’s Pest Technicians. After thoroughly inspecting your property and home, we will eliminate any pest infestations, utilizing ant pest control methods. Our follow-up treatments ensure the continued protection of your home and will give you the peace of mind you deserve. Visit our website to see our residential and commercial pest control options. Call us today for your free estimate!