The occasional ant crawling through your kitchen may not seem like cause for concern. You might think it’s a one-off—remove it and carry on. While this may work for small ant problems in the home, it won’t get rid of a serious infestation. You may have seen a single ant, but chances are you have hundreds lurking.
One of the most dangerous ants is carpenter ants. As wood-destroying insects, carpenter ants are often confused for termites. Blue Chip Pest Services is here to share all you need to know about identifying the warning signs your home is being invaded by carpenter ants.
Signs of Carpenter Ants in St. Louis
Most people’s first thought is that the pest they happen to catch came in through a crack or hole. It’s more likely that the pests are already making themselves comfortable inside your home. Chances are they even have a nest in your wall and have been living there for some time. Common signs of carpenter ants include:
- Line of black ants. Those seemingly harmless ants that come marching single file across your mudroom floor are a warning sign—take them seriously. Maybe your child dripped her juice or the dog food left out is attracting them. But in any case, don’t discount this obvious sign of a problem as a one-off.
- Sawdust in odd places. Where did that come from? Most homeowners may not even blink an eye at a little sawdust sprinkled in their storage area, but did you know that could be the work of some industrious—and destructive pests that are large in number? Carpenter ants will push sawdust out of holes.
- Winged insects. Similar to termites, carpenter ants will swarm in the springtime. Winged ants will leave an existing colony to mate and form new colonies. Swarmers are about 3/4″ in size. Seeing these winged insects indicates that carpenter ants have nested nearby.
How Do I Get Rid of Carpenter Ants?
Getting rid of carpenter ants is not a DIY project. These pests are a problem for homeowners, accounting for millions of dollars of property damage every year. Blue Chip Pest Services is a certified, qualified, experienced provider of pest control services that will free your home of lurking carpenter ants. Contact our ant exterminators today to get started!
