In general, ants become a problem in the summer, but carpenter ants present a much more serious threat than you may expect, so experiencing problems with these ants should not be taken lightly. During the summer months, these ants usually enter our homes while foraging for food to bring back to their colonies. Carpenter ants present the biggest threat during the summertime as they tend to become much more active during the warm, summer months.
All of this talk about the threats these ants pose begs the question, what are these tiny pests really capable of? Carpenter ants are a species of wood-destroying insects that, unlike termites, do not eat their way through the wood; instead, they tunnel through the wood in order to build nests for the members of their colony. These ants tunnel through wood by chewing through it and spitting it out, leaving behind bits of wood that look similar to sawdust. Rather than consuming the wood like termites, these destructive pests will feed on the proteins and sugars they can find inside your home. When living outdoors, however, carpenter ants feed on honeydew and other insects.
The threat of these ants comes from the damage that they can do to wooden objects, furniture, personal items, and more importantly, homes and businesses. Much like termites, the damages these pests can cause to wood can be devastating and even weaken the structure of a building! If not treated in a timely fashion, these damages can be costly to homeowners and businesses alike.
Carpenter ants can cause a lot of destruction before they are seen in most cases. They come out only at night and they are hidden within wood chewing away at it from the inside out. They can also invade in large numbers, coming from several colonies, which makes them difficult to get rid of and require professional solutions. They can live indoors or outdoors and prefer damp, damaged, or hollow wood, but are capable of damaging hardwood as well.
If you see carpenter ants or any signs carpenter ants in your Davenport, IA home such as tiny exit holes in wood with “frass” or sawdust and feces debris beneath the holes, it is important to contact a professional pest eliminator! It is best to leave the elimination of carpenter ant and termite problems to the professionals!
At Quik-Kill Pest Eliminators, we offer effective residential pest control services in Davenport, IA that will help to eliminate existing carpenter ant problems and help you to prevent them from returning. Our experienced technicians can locate and completely eliminate the carpenter ants in your home, guaranteed! We have been successfully controlling pests for 85+ years throughout Central and North Central Illinois and Southwest Iowa. Let us deal with your carpenter ant and other pest problems, we would be happy to help, contact us today!