How Bad Is It To Have Carpenter Ants On My Dayton Property?

Carpenter ants can cause big problems in your home. Despite their name, they are not hammering away the hours to build their nests. No, instead they destroy your home to nest in its ruins. You worked hard to become a homeowner and you put a lot of work into maintaining your property, and the last thing you want is to see it destroyed. You would be surprised at the havoc carpenter ants can wreak, and they always travel as an army.

Easy-To-Spot Signs Of Carpenter Ants On Your Dayton Property

You may be wondering how you will know if your home is besieged by an army of carpenter ants. Seeing the carpenter ants, large and black, is an obvious sign but may occur rarely if the ants travel at night or within the walls. There are a few far more subtle tells that your home is under attack, such as:

• Pin-sized holes: You may find tiny holes that the ants have chewed open in order to travel or carve out their nest.
• Sawdust: Sawdust and wood shavings are often left behind after carpenter ants chew through wooden structures.
• Tunnels bored into wood: You may find a maze of tiny tunnels in baseboards, floor joists, and door jambs; these are travel networks that lead to the carpenter ants' nest.
• Hollow-sounding wood: After studs and joists are chewed through, the structural wood in your home will be weak and compromised.
• Soft crinkling sounds coming from inside the walls: Often at night, a crinkling sound can be heard as the ants move through the walls.
• Lines of ants going from the house to the lawn: Carpenter ants do not actually eat wood. They chew it to move it and shape it into tunnels. They will travel far distances to get to a food source, whether in your yard or in your pantry.
• The shed wings of swarmer ants: Swarmer ants are the reproductive members of the colony that grow wings.

The Dangers Of Having Carpenter Ants On Your Dayton Property

While carpenter ants rarely bite people and are not known to be poisonous or disease-ridden, they do pose a significant threat to your Dayton home. Carpenter ants are driven by their need to burrow and nest. They spend hours a day, every day, nibbling and chewing through wood. Although they do prefer moist and soft wood, they are are equal opportunity chewers, and will chew sound wood as well. Carpenter ants hollow out wood to nest inside, which means the structural integrity of your home is turned into Swiss cheese. Not only can this cost thousands of dollars in home repair, but it also creates a potentially unsafe and unstable dwelling.

Why You Can't Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants On Your Own In Dayton

Unfortunately, the only way to completely eliminate a carpenter ant infestation is to destroy their nest. Killing ants as you see them or laying down insecticides will not get to the heart of the problem. Carpenter ants live in large colonies, and their nests are often in wall cavities that are not readily accessible or visible. Once you have a carpenter ant infestation on your hands, it can be very difficult to resolve on your own.

How To Completely Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants On Your Dayton Property

The only reliable way to completely get rid of carpenter ants on your Dayton property is to call in the professionals. Best Choice Pest Control specializes in all forms of extermination and preventive measures. We are available seven days a week to ensure that you and your home are well taken care of. For expert pest control services in Dayton, give Best Choice Pest Control a call today.