Springtime, it’s the official start of the ant season! With so many species, it can sometimes be difficult to tell exactly which ant is invading your home; but it is important to know. While most are merely a nuisance and do not cause illness or damage, there is one species that can cause extensive damage to your home if left unattended.
So, what are these tiny black ants anyways? If you are finding ants roaming around your home that range in length from 1/8” - 1/2” and are black, red, or a combination of those colors, then you are probably looking at carpenter ants. These ants are larger than most ants and are very common in New England and throughout most of the United States. Don’t worry, they seldom bite people and are not venomous. However, they can cause serious and costly damage to a home or business.
Carpenter ants are dangerous because they can weaken structures as they burrow their way through support beams, walls, ceilings, floors, and furniture. Contrary to popular belief, carpenter ants do not eat wood like termites do. They are actually excavating their way through the wood, leaving all kinds of sawdust behind. Sawdust trails can be a tell-tale sign that you may have a carpenter ant infestation. Typically these ants live outdoors in colonies, but once they discover the warmth, protection, and food sources inside your home or business, they will create a satellite colony to meet the needs of their “larger community” of colonies.
These ants most likely gained entry to your home or business through cracks, crevices, gaps, and expansion joints. If you have or think you have an infestation, you will need assistance from a professional pest control service that can eliminate your carpenter ant problems before too much damage has been caused. If you wait too long, you could be facing a lot of costly repairs, costly replacements, or even costly rebuilding - if the damage is significant.
You can call the pest professionals here at Big Blue Bug Solutions for expert services to eliminate carpenter ant colonies in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. We know about carpenter ant solutions and treatments that fully eradicate infestations, and we offer a one-year carpenter ant warranty that can be renewed yearly. To find out more about our carpenter ant solutions or any other pest control solutions, you can call us or schedule an inspection today.