Most people think of termites doing damage to the structure of a house and understand how important it is to get rid of them right away. Many don’t realize that carpenter ants can be just as destructive and sometimes more difficult to get rid of. If carpenter ants are discovered outside your house, that’s where you want them to stay. If they get into your house, it’s much more difficult to get rid of them and it’s usually necessary to hire a carpenter ant exterminator Minneapolis to treat them.
When carpenter ants are discovered outside your house, in a dead tree stump, it’s usually because they’ve decided to swarm. Hundreds, even thousands, can swarm from the stump flying through the air to your house and your neighbor’s houses, too. Many times they are mistaken for termites at first glace. Now is the time to treat them. You can purchase pesticides to treat the tree stump and hope it kills the remaining ants. To be safe, you can call an expert exterminator to treat the stump and treat the home so that the ants don’t set up residence there.
Once carpenter ants get into your home, they become much harder to get rid of. Many times, until they have established a large nest, the homeowner has no idea they are in his house, though they can be doing damage to the wood structure of your home. When they are ready to swarm, you’ll get a surprise! Hundreds of ants will swarm at night, either coming up through the floor boards or coming down from the air vents or any opening they can squeeze through. When this happens, it’s best to not try to treat on your own, but to call a Carpenter Ant Exterminator Minneapolis for help.
The exterminator will locate the nest and then treat it to kill the remaining ants. He will also spray the house (inside and out) thoroughly with a residual spray to kill any ants on the move. Usually the exterminator will also dust the attic or basement with a powder that will stay effective for a few months to make sure a re infestation doesn’t occur. You will have to be vigilant in watching and call right away if any are spotted. With proper observation, you can eradicate the problem and keep your home from becoming the carpenter ants next meal.
