If you are a home or business owner in Worcester, you’ll likely find ants of some kind around your property at some point or another. Ants are extremely common household pests, and there are a variety of ant species commonly found around the area.
All ants can be invasive as they can grow their numbers quickly and have large colonies. They can also contaminate food and any surfaces they come into contact with. However, there are one ant species that is a double threat because it can both contaminate food and also ruin property.
This species is the carpenter ant. These ants can become a real problem for property owners if a colony is established around a home or business. This is because carpenter ants chew through wood to build tunnels for their nests. While they don’t eat wood as termites do, they can damage all kinds of wooden structures. Because carpenter ants look similar to other ant species, knowing what they look like is the first step in preventing and eliminating an infestation.
- They are the largest ants you will see in your home.
- They are dark brown or black in color.
- They have only a single node that attaches their thorax to their abdomen while many other species have two nodes.
- They have rather obviously heart-shaped heads.
Are Carpenter Ants As Bad As Termites?
When you think of pests that destroy wood, you likely imagine termites. However, carpenter ants can do similar damage as they chew on drywall, wooden beams, flooring, plywood, and more.
Overall, carpenter ants aren’t as destructive as termites. Termites generally do more damage over time. The main reason for this is that termites are harder to identify than carpenter ants. Because carpenter ants will seek out human food, especially anything sweet like sodas or syrups, you’re more likely to see them around. Termites, on the other hand, eat wood and often live in areas you’ll never see. This allows termites to wreak havoc for longer periods without being noticed.
This doesn’t mean that carpenter ants aren’t able to do a lot of damage. They can weaken support beams and warp structures if the infestation is bad enough. So, it’s important to know what the signs of an infestation are so you can get rid of carpenter ants early on.
What Are The Signs Of An Infestation?
You might wonder what to do if you’ve noticed one or two carpenter ants around your home or business. Thankfully, seeing one carpenter ant doesn’t necessarily mean you have an infestation, but it does mean you should start looking for other signs of carpenter ants. These are the most telling signs that you’re dealing with carpenter ants:
- Piles of wood shavings especially near window sills and baseboards.
- Long trails of ants in your yard moving toward the building.
- Rustling noises in the walls or flooring.
- Shed wings near vents, baseboards, and windowsills.
- Ants that have wings emerging from floors, walls, and ceilings.
The Best In Carpenter Ant Prevention And Removal
As soon as you notice any signs of carpenter ants, you should call the experts at Big Blue Bug Solutions before the infestations get worse. These destructive and invasive ants can be hard to remove on your own, and they will likely keep coming back despite your best efforts. Let our technicians use their skills and expertise to remove carpenter ants and ensure they won’t come back.
With more than 80 years of experience, we can handle carpenter ant infestations and also provide prevention services. To request your free inspection, give us a call today.