How do you know if you have carpenter ants in your home?

How do you know if you have carpenter ants in your home?

Carpenter ants are one of the worst pests you can encounter in your home because of their small size and stealth. What makes them particularly damaging and difficult to spot is the fact that they chew through the interior of the wood and create tunnels for themselves to easily navigate through the structure of your home.

Although carpenter ants do not spread disease, they can cause considerable damage to the structure of your home. Unlike other ant species, carpenter ants can be difficult to locate and require a professional treatment to get rid of them.

CARPENTER ANTS

How to identify a carpenter ant?

The carpenter ant is one of the largest species of ants and is therefore recognisable by its imposing size. They measure between 1 and 2 centimetres and are usually black or very dark in colour. Carpenter ants have an overdeveloped head and mandibles which help them to chew wood. They are winged insects that lose their wings during mating.

They live in groups and are usually most active in spring and summer. They feed on insects and anything else that people eat. Carpenter ants multiply rapidly and can become a real threat to your home because of the many nests they can build in a short time.

Elles sont souvent confondues avec les termites, mais il est facile de les différencier, car les fourmis charpentières ont des antennes articulées et pliées et une taille bien définie, contrairement aux termites qui ont des antennes épaisses et droites et n'ont pas de taille définie.

CARPENTER ANTS

What are the risks of a carpenter ant invasion?

Carpenter ants are woodcutters so an invasion can cause serious damage to the structure of your home. As they build their nests, they burrow into the wood of your structure, creating small holes that in the long run can weaken and destroy the structure of your home. They are particularly fond of rotting or waterlogged wood and hide in your homes to feed and take refuge from the cold winter. 

How do you know if you have carpenter ants in your home?

SIGNS OF A CARPENTER ANT INVASION

The level of damage that a carpenter ant infestation can inflict on a house varies according to how long the ants have been active in the house. If a colony has been actively infesting a house for a long time, the damage can be very extensive. It is therefore essential that infestations are detected and treated as soon as possible by a professional in pest management.

How do you know if you have carpenter ants in your home?

Here are some signs of a carpenter ant infestation:

1. ARE THERE CARPENTER ANTS IN YOUR HOME?

À son arrivée dans votre maison, la reine des fourmis charpentières envoie des fourmis ouvrières chercher de la nourriture et de l’eau. Si vous en voyez une, considérer cela comme un avertissement. Elles ont une large gamme d’aliments qu’elles peuvent manger et qui sont plus faciles à trouver à l’extérieur de la maison. C’est-à-dire que même si vous ne rencontrez qu’une ou deux fourmis à l'intérieur de votre maison, il y a des chances que vous ayez une infestation. 

2. SEE WINGED SPECIES EMERGING FROM HOLES OR CRACKS IN DOORS, WINDOWS, ETC.

Pendant la période d'accouplement, les fourmis charpentières perdent leurs ailes. Si vous remarquez plusieurs ailes accumulées sur le rebord de vos fenêtres, sur vos planchers ou sur toute autre surface, assurez-vous de contacter un professional exterminator. Vous pourriez également apercevoir des ailes coincées dans des toiles d'araignées. 

3. PRESENCE OF SMALL WOOD CHIPS (SAWDUST)?

As carpenter ants establish their nests in the house, they leave a trail of sawdust that usually leads to their nests. In fact, it is likely that this is where the ant colonies have infiltrated your home to establish their nests.

Contrairement aux croyances, les fourmis charpentières ne se nourrissent pas de bois, elles s’en servent plutôt pour créer leur nid. Vous pourriez donc trouver des copeaux de bois sur le sol, près des trous ou crevasses de portes, dans votre sous-sol, dans votre garage ou tout autre endroit isolé. Cette sciure peut rester collée aux murs ou s'empiler sur les surfaces.

4. DAMAGE TO WOODEN STRUCTURES?

If carpenter ants infest your property, you will notice damaged areas of wood. Ideally, you will find this damage on external structures (fence, deck, shed, etc.). Carpenter ant damage sometimes resembles termite damage and can take many forms: tunnels, galleries, holes, rot, etc.

You are likely to find damage in wet areas (on fence posts, at the base of buildings where the wood touches the ground, on wood in shady areas, etc.).

5. HOW TO MAKE LOW NOISE IN WALLS OR CEILINGS?

This is not usually a tell-tale sign as the noise produced by carpenter ants is very faint or even inaudible. However, if you hear a creaking or crunching sound in your walls or ceilings, it could be the rustling sound coming from their nests. 

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