You might have seen large black or reddish blank ants wandering around your home. If you have seen these ants, it means you need to have a close look at them. Carpenter ants are common in Toronto and infest homes to cause damage. The best way to get these ants infestation treated is by contacting a pest control service in Mississauga. However, it does not mean that you cannot do anything to prevent your home’s possible damage. Here are some dos and don’ts to help you deal with the carpenter ant infestation:
Dos:
- You need to identify the infestation before taking any step, as you might get confused between carpenter ants and termites. Termites are white and possess unsegmented bodies, whereas these ant species are usually black with segmented bodies. Thus, recognizing the ant infestation is essential.
- See the areas where carpenter ants are drawn to in your home. They usually love wood and moisture combined, especially damp or dead wood. You should check fence posts’ bottoms, doors, and windows bottoms, plus any signs of tiny holes or small piles of wood shavings in your home to determine how much damage has been done. The more damage means, the more trouble you can have if you do not contact a pest control service to get rid of these insects.
- You can also keep these creatures from coming near your home if you keep firewood and construction materials 20 feet away from your exterior walls and off the ground. Do not let the wood rot by cutting branches and bushes away from your walls to reduce the shade and let the sun dry the moisture up. Ensure there are no obstructed gutters that can cause the water to run down the side of your home. This rots the wood and creates puddles near your foundation.
Don’ts
- You may prefer buying over-the-counter pesticides or any other product to get rid of carpenter ants, but these solutions are seldom effective. Carpenter ant colonies are usually located deep within the wood; thus, you cannot eradicate the entire colony using sprays. Nonetheless, you can call a residential pest control expert to get rid of these messy pests for good from your home.
- Don’t ignore taking care of the infested areas. You might have gotten rid of carpenter ants yourself, but you should not overlook the infested areas. Instead, it would help if you took some precautions to ensure that the repeat infestation does not occur. You can replace wet and damaged wood or re-seal it using a sealant or paint. You would need to seal cracks or openings around the foundations of your homes, mainly where the pipes or wires go through walls. Also, make some sanitary measures by cleaning food spills swiftly and keeping food in airtight containers.
Conclusion:
Carpenter ants are messy pests and can cause sufficient damage to your home. You need to consult residential pest control experts in Mississauga to get rid of them permanently. If you don’t want to consult a pest control service, you should remember a few dos and don’ts.
Here are the dos:
- Identify the ant species.
- Identify the infested areas.
- Keep wood away from the house to prevent ants from invading your home.
Here are don’ts:
- Don’t buy over-the-counter pesticides.
- Don’t forget to take precautionary measures once the ants are gone.