Most types of ants are simply a nuisance to have around your house and don’t pose any danger to you and your family. However, carpenter ants can cause significant damage to the structure of your house if left untreated. Getting rid of carpenter ants effectively requires you to get rid of all of the nests they have in your house. Here’s what you need to know to find carpenter ant nests so you can rid your home of the pests.

Facts About Carpenter About Nests

Carpenter ants build nests deep inside the wood. Unlike termites, they do not feed on wooden structures, but carpenter ants burrow inside the wood by chewing tunnels through it. The most important thing to remember about carpenter ant nests is that the pests almost always have more than one. The colony starts out with a single parent nest, and as it grows in size, the colony begins to create smaller satellite nests nearby. If you have one nest in your home, there is a good chance you have more nearby.

Ways To Find Carpenter Ant Nests

If you think you have carpenter ants living in your home, you need to start looking for nests. Check any wooden structure in your home. You should also check trees and stumps near your house to make sure that they do not house a parent nest. 

Carpenter ant nests are often found deep inside your walls, so they may not be easily seen. You will probably have to look for signs to locate a nest. Try tracking the ants to see where they go when you see them out foraging for food. You can also look around your house for small piles of wood shavings known as frass. These piles occur when the ants discard the material they tunnel through, so the presence of frass is usually indicative of a nest nearby.

In some cases, you can hear carpenter ants chewing through the walls. If you hear faint gnawing sounds late at night, chances are good that you have a carpenter ant infestation. Paying close attention to these sounds can lead you to the nest.

Finally, you should pay close attention to areas of your home that are prone to moisture. Damp wood attracts carpenter ants, so they are more likely to build nests in environments with a high moisture level.

What To Do If You Have a Carpenter Ant Infestation

Carpenter ants are capable of causing significant damage to the structure of your home in a short amount of time. Quick intervention is necessary to minimize damage. You should never try to get rid of carpenter ants on your own because most DIY methods fail to remove all of the nests in your house. Leaving even one nest behind leaves you with a huge problem. Carpenter ant queens are known to live for up to 15 years, and because they can lay as many as 70,000 eggs in their lifetime, you can quickly end up with another full-blown investigation if you leave a nest behind.

The best way to get rid of carpenter ants is to call in a professional. Truly Nolen has a staff of qualified exterminators who have the knowledge and tools necessary to get rid of the carpenter ants in your home. We treat each infestation thoroughly and help you identify how the pests entered your home in the first place so that you can prevent the problem from reoccurring.

Make an Appointment With Truly Nolen Today

Because carpenter ants often have multiple nests, getting rid of the pests can be tricky. It’s best to leave carpenter ant control to the professionals. The experts at Truly Nolen are happy to help you with pest control in Guelph. If you think you have carpenter ants living in your home, contact us today to schedule an appointment for pest control.