As the cold temperatures climb up to above zero, the buds on the shrubs are starting to emerge, and the days start to get longer, we’ll all breathe a sigh of relief that the long winter is over, and spring is near. However, you and your family are not the only ones looking forward to brighter days and warmer evenings in your home. You may have noticed large black ants creeping around your house, or even inside it! They could be carpenter ants awakening from their winter naps.
Read on to learn more about why carpenter ants are invading your spaces, how to detect them, the damage they could do, and how to prevent them from making your house their next home base.
The Annual Ant Cycle
First, let’s understand the ant’s annual cycle. During summer and fall, ants are usually very active outdoors. They spend their time looking for food to feed their colony. They may, on occasion, infiltrate a building to find crumbs to carry back to the nest. So, seeing a few ants in the house in summer doesn’t automatically mean that a colony is growing indoors. These ants might just simply be passing through.
Over the winter, ants go into a “hibernation” period. This “hibernation” is more accurately called diapause. During this period, their metabolism is reduced to its lowest point in order to preserve energy. As a result, this period is also characterized by diminished activity of the colony and its queen. Learn more about ants in the winter here!
So now, as spring is about to bloom, and temperatures are getting milder, the ants wake from diapause and begin to search for food and water. You might see a few of them in the kitchen or washroom. These are the ants that often turn out to be carpenter ants.
As a side note, smaller ants, such as pavement ants, appear later in May or June.
Signs You May Have an Ant Problem
We all hope that when we see an occasional ant, it is just a fluke and it isn’t a sign of a nest nearby or in your house’s structure. However, it could be an indicator that carpenter ants are using this time in March to find a nice space to multiply in your house.
Seeing ants in spring every year may signal a problem which could grow in proportion over the years. Here are a few signs that might confirm the ants you saw weren’t just passing through:
The ants you see are large and black (these are almost surely carpenter ants).
You see ant trails. A clear indication of a sizeable nest is seeing a trail of ants moving in and out of your home. They are most active in the evening and night.
You notice wood debris. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood to build their nests. This results in fine, sawdust-like wood debris near baseboards, door frames, and window sills.
You see winged ants emerging from wall fissures. Carpenter ants produce winged ants in the fall and keep them inside the colony over the winter. As spring arrives, these winged ants leave the colony to mate.
You find ants on the second floor of the house.
You hear noises inside the walls. These noises may be very faint, but when carpenter ant numbers are large enough, it is possible to hear cracking noises in the walls and ceilings when the house is quiet.
You see ants indoors before you see ants outdoors.
The Damage Carpenter Ants Can Cause
Carpenter ants can build their nests inside your home! If carpenter ants have found a safe haven in your house, it is essential you call a pest control service (such as Sentry Pest Control) to eradicate them. Once the queen carpenter ant has mated, she founds the parent colony.
Over time, this colony will house hundreds of sterile female workers, reproductive males and females, and even one or more queens. This parent colony can generate one or several smaller “satellite colonies” inside surrounding structures. Thus, in only two or three years, thousands of ants can invade the structure of your house.
They can chew out galleries of tunnels inside structural timber. This can cause severe damage to the integrity of your wood, and entire building structure. These ants could then spend the whole winter indoors and grow their colony from year to year if you do not intervene with an adequate strategy.
Protecting Your Home
The best strategy against these unwelcome invaders is early detection and prevention. Starting early in the springtime is a proactive approach, so call a reputable pest management company like Sentry Pest Control for an assessment and suggestions.
First, Sentry Pest Control will help you take prevention measures such as:
Detecting and sealing entry points: cracks and crevices around areas such as windows, doors and the foundation are like open doors to carpenter ants.
Assessing sources of moisture: carpenter ants like moist wood that could be a result of leaky pipes or drainage issues.
Evaluating your plants: ants, like other insects, will use plants as roadways and if these plants touch the outside of your house they could be leading those pesky black intruders right into your home.
Additionally, Sentry Pest Control uses the top industry solutions for effective ant control, while also minimizing the impact on the environment. This is why a professional inspection is vital, because your particular ant troubles will warrant targeted treatment, and customized ongoing monitoring and maintenance helps get rid of those colonies for good.
Don’t let the sunny glow of spring be blocked out by these big, dark, unwanted visitors! You can take initiative to stop these colonies and enjoy peace of mind knowing your home is not being invaded by destructive woodworking pests!
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