6 Ways to Keep Carpenter Ants Out of Your Home

May 3, 2016

Are you spotting carpenter ants around your home or business? You are not alone; many Des Moines residents are! As we approach carpenter ant season, it is crucial for homeowners to take preventative action and protect what matters most from these destructive pests. Let's take a look at carpenter ants as a species and how to keep them out of your house!

The Life of a Carpenter Ant

The life cycle of a carpenter ant typically begins with the nuptial flight that occurs in late spring or the beginning of summer. It is during the flight that male winged carpenter ants (swarmers) mate with the winged female carpenter ants. Soon after mating, the males die, and the females set out to find a new location to build a colony. Unfortunately, this often ends up being in our homes and businesses.

Keeping Carpenter Ants from Entering Your Home

Carpenter ants establish their nests and colonies both indoors and outdoors. What these pests are attracted to most is moist wood, which is why it is important to protect the structure of your home. Check out seven helpful ways to keep these nuisance pests at bay!

1. Trim Trees or Bushes That Touch Your Homes Roof or Siding

Carpenter ants tend to harbor within the wood of trees or bushes surrounding your home. To keep them from making the move indoors, perform routine outdoor maintenance, like pruning, to ensure they do not come in contact with the structure of your house. Whether it's routine trimming or the removal of an entire tree, be sure to clean up all remaining debris. Even the stump of a tree can act as a nest for carpenter ants.

2. Repair Any Rotting Wood

Since carpenter ants are attracted to decomposing wood for nesting, do a routine check to save yourself from a destructive carpenter ant infestation. This includes any weather-damaged or rotting wood around your home or yard.

3. Avoid Storing Firewood Directly on the Ground

As previously stated, wood of any sort is a carpenter ants best friend. Avoid placing your firewood on the ground or in a place directly touching your home. Placing firewood too close to your home is a simple and common mistake made by homeowners throughout both summer and winter months. By keeping some space between your home and woodpile, and keeping it off the ground, you help avoid a carpenter ant infestation within your home or nests within the wood itself.

4. Get Rid of Wood to Soil Contact

As a homeowner, one of the worst things you can do for your home is to have soil in direct contact with any wood structures. This happens when a porch, deck, door frame, etc. is resting on or in any form of soil. Because of ant's affinity for soil, and the easy access wood directly contacting the ground provides, it is essential that these structures are resting on cement for support rather than soil.

5. Analyze Your Foundation

Since carpenter ants are attracted to rotting and damaged wood, double-check the foundation around your home before summer hits. An inspection will fix the problems before the damaged areas have the chance to attract pesky carpenter ants.

6. Clean Gutters

After the winter months, don't forget to check your downspouts and gutters before receiving an abundance of Spring rain. Many homeowners may not realize that when your gutters are cracked, leaking or overflowing with debris, it creates excess moisture around your home's foundation. When this happens, carpenter ants react quickly and begin to nest in the rotting or damaged foundation.

Carpenter Ants? Take Care of Them with the Leading Des Moines Pest Control!

Getting rid of ants is no easy feat, especially carpenter ants. But have no fear, with the help of Preferred Pest Control you will be carpenter ant free in no time. Through our effective and efficient ant removal service, our technicians will not only remove the ants that you see around your home or business but will get down to the source to prevent them from returning again! For further questions call us at (515) 415-5550 or schedule an appointment with us online today!