When Should You Worry About Carpenter Ants In The Northwest

Carpenter ants are considered overly large ants that are indigenous to various parts of the world where there are forested areas like the Northwest. They typically build their nests inside the trees where the wood is dead or rotting; gnawing pathways throughout the trunk using their mandibles. Some may think of them as similar to termites but what separates these two, outside of the fact that termites are not ants, is that termites consume the wood they chew whereas carpenter ants discard this material in the form of what resembles sawdust.

What Kind Of Damage Can Carpenter Ants Cause

When it comes to ants, carpenter ants are the most problematic. This is because if they go unnoticed, they can wreak havoc on the structural support of homes and buildings. Just as their name implies, carpenter ants excavate wood in the process of building their nests resulting in smooth tunnel-like formations within the wood beams. Typically, carpenter ants seek wood material that is softer in nature, like decayed or broken down wood, though they are known to chew into sound wood as well. Decayed wood is already structurally unsound but if they move into more solid wood material then those areas will become just as unsound; weakening support throughout the building. Depending on the location of their nests, this weakening of wooden beams can become dangerous and costly.

Signs Of Carpenter Ants in the Northwest

Carpenter ants are known to give themselves away since they have to carry the material they excavate outside of their tunneling systems. Once they chew down the decaying or soft wood material it becomes known as frass. Frass is a sawdust like material that is often seen outside of the location where carpenter ants are residing. If you are privy to areas of the home or building where you are aware of moisture or previously damaged wood; surveying these areas for frass material is a good way to see if you have a carpenter ant problem. Areas like the base of fence posts, support beams of a deck or patio, wooden garden beds or borders for flower beds are all common places carpenter ants can be found.

What To Do If You Have Carpenter Ants

The best thing you can do when it comes to carpenter ants is to keep your landscape from moisture build up as well as protecting the exterior foundation of your home by placing stone or rock where you may normally place mulch or wooden borders. Breaking up ground that does not easily drain is another preventative measure that one can take.. Preventing infestations comes down to maintenance around your home or building in order to keep carpenter ants at bay or from becoming a problem. Living in the Northwest, moisture is commonplace for this area so being attentive to your home or buildings surroundings is imperative in maintaining and prevention. If a carpenter ant infestation has occurred, contacting your local pest control management company is your best option in elimination.

The best time to worry about carpenter ants in the Northwest is before you have a huge problem on your hands. Through taking simple measures you can prevent not only an infestation from occurring but preventing damage to your home or building as well.