Carpenter Ant Awareness

Although carpenter ants are active all year round, they typically show their highest activity around a home between May and August. Like termites, carpenter ants are wood lovers, which means they pose a risk to your home over time. Not surprisingly, at Pest Control Eugene we get most calls concerning carpenter ants  during this time.

How to know if you have a carpenter ant problem
During the late spring and early summer months it’s important to walk around the perimeter of your home to inspect for signs of these critters. Here are some tips on when to do this and what to look for:

• Carpenter ants are nocturnal, so it's best to take your walk-around on a sunny day in the late afternoon.
• Keep an eye out for frass (wood shavings) and/or dead ant parts. 
• Listen for a crackling type noise coming from a wall.
• Pay special attention to areas around water spigots or downspouts, cable and plumbing lines and any spots on your property with dead wood or stumps.
• Look for ants that you suspect might be carpenter ants, entering or exiting your home.

When to call a professional about your carpenter ants
If carpenter ants are near or in your home, it’s time to call a professional. Carpenter ants are wood destroying and simply treating the foraging ants will not protect your home from the potential damage they can do. They nest in the walls and outside in dead wood, like railroad ties and dead stumps.

Sometimes we hear complaints of a Styrofoam sounding crackling noise coming from a wall, especially at night. So if you see or hear what you suspect might be carpenter ants inside or outside of your home it's a good idea to get a professional's assessment. 

If you're seeing winged ants, there's a high probability that this has been an ongoing issue for several years. If you're not sure of the difference between a carpenter ant and other types of ants or termites, Pest Control Eugene always offers a free evaluation and will answer any questions you may have. 

Carpenter ants can cover some serious ground
Carpenter ants can travel up to a half mile from their nests, and the same colony often affects full neighborhoods. 

When we come out to a home at Pest Control Eugene, we always check for any and all conducive conditions that might lead to a carpenter ant infestation and will also show you what you can do to help prevent pest issues from arising in the future.