Here at Viking Pest, spring time means that a lot of our clients are dealing with the dreaded carpenter ant. Control procedures for these pests can mean anything from getting rid of shrubbery in your hard to sealing up your windows and doors and more. But we have one good tip for those who struggle with carpenter ants year after year, and that’s to understand what it is they want.
Why are they called carpenter ants?
Many people believe that carpenter ants eat wood. The name seems to indicate that they are drawn to wood, and if you have an infestation of them, you typically see holes in any kind of wooden surface. But this isn’t a sign that the ants have eaten the wood. Instead, carpenter ants are burrowing into the wood, creating colonies inside the material. This is the ideal home for them to lay eggs and protect their colony.
What do they want if not to eat the wood?
If they aren’t eating the wood, what is it that they are most drawn to? Moisture. Carpenter ants need a lot more moisture than other types of insects and are primarily drawn to very wet wooden surfaces. This makes it easier to burrow into, and also provides them with the moisture they need for survival. Anything that is rotting, moldy, or just damp, is a prime spot for carpenter ants.
What do I do now that I know?
Now that you know what it is carpenter ants want, you can take preventative measures to protect your home. Walk around your yard and look for wet wood. Firewood stacked on the ground, decaying trees or shrubs, a deck that got snowed on over the winter, and anything else like this, could be a place where you can implement some DIY carpenter ant control. Cover any wood that comes into contact with soil with plastic so it’s harder for the ants to get in, and remove dead or decaying wood from your yard as soon as you can. Keep your home dehumidified to reduce the moisture, and you may find that you have a much smaller issue with the ants this year.
If you do still find that carpenter ants are a problem, give us a call at Viking Pest. We are your trusted Pennsylvania pest control service all year long.
