If they’re undetected, the structural integrity of a building can be seriously undermined. Carpenter ants are the #1 wood-destroying pest in the Pacific Northwest. Otherwise, your terror upon seeing your home repair bill could be even greater than what you might experience if you happen to come across any of those irradiated ants from the sci-fi movies. nest grows to accommodate the ants. Using change the environment. Carpenter ant damage gradually weakens wooden possible, making the addition of supports the only option. Sometimes ants can be seen in a building even when they have not created a nest there. Even if they are small, these small black ants can cause huge problems especially if infestations go unnoticed. is considered a classic in the science-fiction genre — a masterpiece that was one of the very first films to use “big bugs” as the antagonists. However, as is generally the case, the film did evolve from some kernels of truth. Published on Jan 11, 2019 Non-active Carpenter Ant damage discovered during paint repair of the exterior of a 1940's detached garage. They can also burrow through wood — especially wood that is damaged. Store any firewood or lumber away from your house. Avoid the Costly Repair of Carpenter Ant Damage Carpenter ant damage kind of sneaks up on you. The 1954 film Them! Though there are over 12,000 known species of ants, you can ultimately divide them into two categories: annoying but harmless and seriously destructive. Carpenter ants can damage wood used in the construction of buildings. Here’s How to Get Rid... Getting Rid of Ants With Vinegar: Does it Really Work? In fact they are one of nature’s most aggressive destroyers of wood. Typically black in color, these relentless insects will threaten the structural stability of homes by digging into wood to build their nests. However, they are capable of producing significant damage to your home or business. On occasion, carpenter ants do invade a home, damaging deck boards, door sills, window frames, and other things made of wood. Carpenter ants are surprisingly misunderstood insects. Letting a carpenter ant or termite infestation continue to grow may lead to serious property damage that costs tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. On the other hand, carpenter ant colonies often reside in a building for many years completely unbeknownst to the human occupants. spaces, big or small, during the building process. carpenter ants have been removed, you’re left with all the damage. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. section of the wall, extracting the damaged wood and replacing it may not be If the nest is located in a weight-bearing ant infestations from happening. That does not mean carpenter ant control can be put off. Once the In the movie, carpenter ants in the New Mexico desert are exposed to radiation and mutate into giant terrors that begin to wander the country in order to make new nests. You can take several relatively easy steps to help ensure that carpenter ants make their nest outside of your home or business rather than within its walls. Carpenter ant damage can be pretty extensive. The damage caused by carpenter ants is distinct although it is often confused with termite damage. Excessive moisture in wood precedes both carpenter ants and wood decay. The area underneath a deck or porch is an ideal spot for these wood-destroying pests as are wooden structures that have lots of plants around them. Though carpenter ants can cause damage to healthy trees, moist wood is especially susceptible to damage from these ants. This doesn’t happen until the colony has 2,000-3,000 ants and is already 3 to 6 years old. Seal any cracks, install door sweeps, and ensure windows are screened and properly installed. Since carpenter ants are large, their bites can break the skin. The number and size of the carpenter ant nests will determine how significant the damage is and how quickly it spreads. The amount of damage a carpenter ant infestation can inflict on a property can vary. your building? Although the damage caused by carpenter ants is not as severe as the damage caused by termites, carpenter ant nests may cause significant damage over a period of years. These types of ants are relatively clean, inconspicuous, and slow in their methods of destruction. Since carpenter ant nests can be hard to find, it may be wise to have your home checked out by a professional even if you are not sure whether or not you have a problem. difficult for the ants to bore into the wood, and if they can’t bore into the repair that works best. Do what you can to prevent ants from entering your home in the first place, and if you do discover a nest, contact a pest control specialist as soon as possible. Carpenter ant damage repair is similar to wood with either more wood or other materials, or replacing the damaged area Here are some places you can look for carpenter ant damage and what that damage may look like: Outdoors Carpenter ants love infesting fence posts, especially if those fence posts are in moist soil, and even more if they are old, unpainted, and untreated. It usually takes time, sometimes years, but given a good colony of really large nest sizes or multiple nests within your house structure, they can do a lot of damage to the timbers in your house. Luckily, we are here to provide some answers and some solutions. Trim bushes and trees so that they are not touching the building and thus creating a perfect walkway right into your home/business. Carpenter ant damage repair is similar to termite damage repair. CARPENTER ANT DAMAGE Whether carpenter ants establish a nest within a structure or nearby, it signals the beginning of a tremendous headache for the property's owners. Many companies will do a free home/business checkup, and some offer online quizzes to let you know your level of risk. As is the case with termites, carpenter ant infestations often go unnoticed until it is a costly situation to correct. entirely. coats the material and can be added to almost all building materials and from needing to repair the damage. worry about future repairs. The costs of repair are sometimes extremely high and at times, entire sections of the property have to be removed and refitted. Carpenter ants are known to cause the most damage of all the different species of ants that commonly infest structures. A carpenter ant infestation is an easy infestation to shrug off. 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