“SAWDUST” PILES ARE SURE SIGN OF CARPENTER ANTS

The first sign of trouble was a little mound of what looked like sawdust on the raised concrete ledge in the laundry room. My neighbor has a raised ranch. In the unfinished basement area there is a narrow, half-inch gap between the wallboard and the concrete foundation. Between every set of studs we could see little pyramid-shaped piles of “sawdust.” I hated to be the bearer of bad news, but my neighbor had carpenter ants. The “sawdust” was the byproduct of their munching.

What Type of Damage Do Carpenter Ants Cause?

Carpenter ants can be quite destructive. While they don’t eat wood like termites do, carpenter ants chew massive tunnels and galleries into wood to house their nests. Usually found outdoors in wood piles or damaged trees, the large black ants are easily attracted to nearby home foundations, particularly when moisture is present. Carpenter ants’ tunneling can undermine foundations, destroy porch posts and railings, and damage roofs and wood siding. Damage will not stop until the entire nest is found and eliminated by pest control professionals.

If you see a dull, black ant, approximately 1/4 to 3/4-inch long, it is a carpenter ant and you could have a serious problem. Pest technicians traced my neighbor’s problem to a huge nest in a damaged tree in her backyard. That colony was still thriving but had spread to her home. Fortunately, a quick call to Viking Pest Control was able to eliminate both nests and minimize carpenter ant damage to my neighbor’s home.  Contact us today to learn more about our effective pest control for homes throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland.