Of all the pests out there, perhaps some of the worst are the ones who destroy the wood structures including homes in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. And with the spring season now underway, wood destroying pests will become more active soon. Pests like carpenter ants and termites can cause similar damages which make it hard to distinguish between the two. Your local pest extermination experts at Viking Pest Control are here to help you learn about carpenter ants and terminates in NJ, PA, MD, and DE so that you can prevent wood destroying pests from causing extensive and costly structural damages to your home.
Carpenter ants are just like other ant species in that they are often found foraging for food in the kitchen. They prefer sweets but will eat just about anything that is left in the open for them (crumbs, spills, and unsealed baked goods). The thing that is different about carpenter ants is that they carve galleries into wood in order to create their nests. Their galleries are kept very clean so you are likely to find piles of frass (sawdust from their carving) as a sign that you have active carpenter ants. Another sign is damage to wood on the property like the decks, window and door frames.
Termites on the other hand are not going to be found foraging through the kitchen. They do their work behind the scenes because their colonies are formed under the ground. In fact, termites will die if they become exposed to the air and light for too long. And instead of simply carving wood, termites actually eat the wood to get the cellulose they crave. Signs of termites include mud tubes traveling around the property and over the exterior of the house, termite swarms in the spring, and of course damage to the wood structures in the home.
Identify carpenter ants and termites in NJ, PA, MD, and DE:
Carpenter ants are large black ants that vary in size from 1/4 to 3/4 of an inch in length. Termites on the other hand are much smaller; the workers are only about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch in length. They are a creamy color, almost translucent but again, they are not likely to be seen out in the open.
If you are concerned that your New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, or Eastern Shore of Maryland home is being infested by wood destroying insects, please contact your local experts at Viking Pest Control today. In addition to providing termite control in our team of pest control professionals offer carpenter ant control as well as Home Protection Plans for other insects and rodents. Let us help you get rid of wood destroying pests!
Call Viking at 800-618-2847 to learn more about wood destroying insect pest control and extermination services, or get a fast, free quote online today!