Carpenter ants are likely to be one of the most valuable insects on earth. They chew up wet, deadwood and turn it into sawdust, creating compost for new environmental growth. However, when they cross the threshold of a man-made structure with any amount of water damage, they are a highly destructive and common pest, and when left untreated, can cause an insurmountable amount of damage.
Wood destroying insects are very common, especially in the rainforests of southeast Alaska. One thing to note is that Alaska is the only state in the U.S. that does not have termites. When you see wood damage in Alaska, it is most likely from carpenter ants the difference between termite damage and carpenter ant damage is termites eat wood from the outside in, showing obvious damage. carpenter ants do not actually eat the wood, they spit out and tunnel through the wood. The difficult part about carpenter damage is that it is a lot harder to see because the damage is inside the wood.
Signs That You Might Have A Carpenter Ant Infestation:
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You see large black or dark red ants in or on your home.
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Find piles of wood shavings or frass beneath wooden areas like baseboards, door jambs, or windowsills
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Carpenter ants travel long distances to forage for food to bring back to the nest. If you spot long ant trails or ant paths in your lawn, this is another sign of a possible infestation
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If you hear faint rustling noises in your walls or in other wooden areas. Carpenter ants burrow into the woodwork and create nests, and they make noise when scraping out the wood shavings
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Find large winged ants in your home coming from your ceilings, walls, floor joists and other unseen cracks and crevices
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Discover dropped or shed wings of “swarmer” ants near any window ledge, baseboard, or vent
I Have Carpenter Ants, What Now?
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One way to eliminate easy access into your home is to make sure you seal any cracks
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Make sure any plumbing or electrical lines are also properly sealed
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Store any firewood away from your home keep it off the ground using pallets, or a storage shed
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Check your firewood for ants before bringing it into your house
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Unclog your gutters regularly to prevent water damage
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Remove any wood, logs, or stumps from near or under the building
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Immediately fix any leaks in the roof or in plumbing pipes as well as any cracks in the sealant of all windows.
