Choosing an exterminator to remove carpenter ants from your Queens, NY home

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Carpenter ants wreak havoc all over the Eastern United States, and they cause a substantial amount of damage to wood structures. Although these pesky insects do not actually eat wood, they do nest in it. They also navigate through damp, dead, and decaying wood by tunneling through it. As small as these ants are, it may seem unlikely that they can be a cause for so much worry. But it isn’t the carpenter ant that is the problem. It is the entire colony of carpenter ants that poses the problem. Choosing an exterminator to remove carpenter ants from your Queens, NY, home could save you precious time and resources. If carpenter ants are not properly identified and their colony located, the end result could be detrimental to the value and enjoyment of your home or property. 

Carpenter Ants versus Termites

Carpenter Ants and termites can equally cause structural and cosmetic damage to your property. They are both attracted to damp and dead wood. They both also tunnel and nest in the wood, moving about your property and causing damage along the way. Even more troublesome is that both carpenter ants and termites leave behind similar signs of activity, such as small piles of wood shavings and channels in wood. They are also similar in size and characteristics, so it will be difficult to tell them apart if you are not familiar with the specific characteristics of each of them.

Related: How to Prepare Your Home for a Termite Extermination Inspection in NYC

The Colony

Carpenter ants live in colonies in which there are ants in various stages of the life cycle. There are working ants and a queen. A colony can contain anywhere from 3,000 to 100,000 working ants – depending on the specific ant species. There are a reported 24 species of carpenter ants in the United States. Carpenter ants tunnel deep into dead and decaying wood, creating hollow spaces for nesting. Their nests are generally complex, oftentimes having numerous locations in one structure. They can be located anywhere within your walls, floors, and ceilings. The complexity of their nests make them difficult to locate and target.

The Underlying Issues

Carpenter ants are notorious for finding their way inside your home through cracks, crevices, open doorways and windows, and through dead and decaying wood. They are attracted to damp, warm, moist environments, and they also seek out proteins and sugars found in discarded food, pet food sources, and food pantries. Structures with a moist basement, wood damage, and a damp attic or crawl space are even more susceptible to having carpenter ant infestations.

Related: How to Choose a Pest Control Company in Queens, NY

The Exterminator

Having a professional on your side when it comes to carpenter ants is your best defense to treating and controlling the problem. They are trained to properly identify the species, locate the colonies, and execute a treatment method to ensure you are targeting the problem head on. They can figure out why carpenter ants are attracted to your property in the first place. An exterminator will also be able to inform you of any problem areas in and around your property that may be conducive to attract carpenter ants. This will help deter future infestations from occurring.