4 Signs of Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants can be a costly problem. They carve out nests in wood causing major damage to your home or business. Carpenter ants can get into your home through wet or damaged wood, cracks around windows or doors, or by creating paths through sturdy wood. A large carpenter ant colony contains around 10,000 ants, but only about 10-15% of those ants go out scavaging for food. Look for carpenter ant nests in wall voids, insulation in your attic, or inside hollow doors. Here are the signs you want to look for.

• Piles of Woodshavings

Since carpenter ants hollow out wood for nest space, they leave piles of woodshavings. This makes them easier to spot than termites since termites actually eat the wood. If you have a carpenter ant infestation, you’ll find woodshavings beneath baseboards, door jams, or window sills.

• Rustling Noises

Carpenter ants make a soft rustling sounds when they move around. If you hear rustling noises in your walls, then you may be hearing carpenter ants.

• Hollow Wood

When you knock on a solid stud in your wall you’ll hear a solid sound and when you knock in between studs you’ll hear a hollow sound. Knock on the studs in your wall and if any of them sound more hollow than the others, it could be carpenter ants.

• Seeing Ants

It’s important to know what carpenter ants look like. They have a rounded thorax that is black, dark brown, red and black, yellow, or red in color. Winged male and female ants appear after about two years when the colony has matured. Look for carpenter ants crawling out from ceilings, walls, or hidden crevices. Shed wings near baseboards or window sills are also signs that carpenter ants have been there.

Carpenter ant infestations should not be taken lightly. The damage they cause can cost thousands if the problem isn’t taken of early on. If you can’t get the carpenter ants out on your own, hire a professional to get the job done right. Classic Pest Control and Insulation get rid of the ants and seal up entry points throughout your home. If they’ve caused damage to your insulation, they can replace that as well.

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