As a home owner, your house is constantly under attack year round. For example, water can get into cracks and cause wood to rot and ultimately lead to mold. The intense Florida sun can dry out your roof or siding and cause the color of your home to fade. There's also an endless collection of bugs and rodents that live around your house ready to invade and cause havoc. When it comes to pest problems in Florida, most people think about termite problems. However, one of the most destructive pests here in Florida are carpenter ants. When they find their way into your home, they eat and destroy it from the inside out. If you don't know what to look for inside your home, they can actually go unnoticed, causing incredible damage for years.
How Do I Know If I have Carpenter Ants?
There are usually four stages of destruction when it comes to a carpenter ant infestation.
Stage One
If you do have a carpenter ant infestation, hopefully you can detect them at the first stage of their lifecycle. When the ants first get in, the nest will send out workers in search of food. If you see one of these ants, it is important to recognize it as a warning sign of an infestation. Carpenter ants are not the type of pest that will seek out food in your pantry. They are looking for food outside your home and will often be seen going back and forth from the outside to the nest.
Stage Two
Once a nest has been established for a while, you will likely see what looks like sawdust underneath entrance holes. This sawdust material is also called frass. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not actually eat wood. They chew it up in order to make tunnels and then push the frass out the entrance. Look for frass in dark areas of your home such as your garage or crawl spaces.
Stage Three
Many homeowners often mistake this stage as an unimportant issue. However, it is a huge warning sign that you have a mature nest inside your home. Like many other types of ant colonies, the carpenter species will send out flying ants. Flying ants are both male and female and whose sole purpose to seek out opportunities to start new ant colonies.
Stage Four
When left untreated, the destruction carpenter ants can inflict can cause main supports to weaken, frames will start to warp, walls will buckle and doors or windows won't close properly. Keep you eyes open for other warning signs because you do not want to discover a carpenter ant colony at stage four.
What Should I Do If I See Any Signs Of Carpenter Ants?
These ants are notoriously difficult to get rid of once inside your home. If they are not all exterminated, they may continue to cause damage to your home. If you see signs of an infestation, don't try to fix the issue yourself. Call a professional. At Super D Pest Control, our team of trained extermination professionals can make sure the issue is addressed properly and we give you the peace of mind that ants won't be still chewing away at your home.
Your home is probably the largest investment any family will make. You'll want to keep it and you family safe. Call Super D Pest Control at (727) 433-5310 today for an assessment of your home and to get set up on a pest control maintenance program that will keep your home and surrounding area pest free. You can also reach us on our website below. We look forward to serving you