Having to deal with a carpenter ant infestation is never fun, but there are some things that you can do to actually make it worse. Let’s take a look at some of the common mistakes people make when they have carpenter ant infestations, and how you can avoid making these mistakes.
Ignoring the signs of an infestation
Carpenter ants will slowly damage the structural integrity of any piece of wood that they infest, so you should not ignore the signs that you have an infestation. At the start of the infestation, the main, and possibly only sign that you will notice is the presence of carpenter ants themselves. Since they do not consume wood, carpenter ants have to go out and forage, just like any other ant species. So you will likely see large black ants that are about half of an inch in length crawling around your kitchen or backyard if you have an infestation.
Misidentifying carpenter ants
It’s possible to misidentify carpenter ants when you see them out and about. They do not have outlandish colors that make them stand out, so you might see larger than average black ants crawling around and not think twice about it. It’s important to keep in mind that only carpenter ants can reach the size that they do, and in this way, the odds of confusing them for another species is low.
Trying to solve the infestation using DIY methods
It might seem like a good idea to go with a DIY approach in order to save money on control costs. However, if you do not tackle the infestation properly, the colony will continue growing and causing damage in the home.
For example, some homeowners use repellents or insecticidal dusts to keep the ants out of the kitchen. This does not solve the problem of the colony, which will just keep growing and find food somewhere else.
There is also the problem of using baits incompletely, and not actually killing the queen. You could be able to kill a large segment of the workforce, but until the queen is dead, the infestation will continue.
A pro will be quite familiar with carpenter ant infestations and be able to remove the infestation completely as fast as possible. For more information about what not to do when you have a carpenter ant infestation, or if you require professional pest control services, contact us today.
