New Jersey pest control experts report that carpenter ants are a menacing pest to deal with any time of the year. Despite what some people may think, carpenter ants do not eat wood like termites do. Instead, carpenter ants typically seek out wood sources that have been damaged due to moisture. In most instances, carpenter ants do not attack “good wood”, but they can and have if it serves their nesting purposes.
Carpenter ants need a great deal of moisture to survive so they prefer to burrow into wood that has been damaged by water. They use the damaged wood that they find to create their galleries and tunnels to travel from place to place. Homeowners often find carpenter ant infestations during home renovations or when they have a leaking roof. A carpenter ant colony is dependent upon the food supply and the moisture supply that is available to them.
Carpenter ant nests are not limited to being found in damaged wood sources. They are also found inside of unused hoses and pipes, in curtain rods, behind insulation, in crawl spaces, in hallow doors, and in the walls voids of homes. They prefer to nest in areas where there is minimal air flow that will disturb them.
Within a home, if you have a carpenter ant infestation, it is almost certain that you also have a water damage problem that must be addressed. Upon discovery of carpenter ants, many people call exterminators who will gladly kill off the invading pests, but failure to address the moisture problem will result in a return of the carpenter ants.
A New Jersey pest control professional will be able to help you properly identify the type of ant that is invading your home and pin-point the reason for the invasion. With proper attention, carpenter ants and other invading ants can be eliminated from your New Jersey home by a qualified New Jersey pest control expert like Allison Pest Control.