How to Handle Carpenter Ant Damage

Carpenter ants in Peekskill NY - Garrie Pest Control

Carpenter ants might not be able to do the same amount of damage as termites, but they create problems for people all around Peekskill NY year after year. One of the reasons that carpenter ants are so hard to deal with is that they build their nests inside our walls, not in the earth like termites. Given that they never have to leave, carpenter ants can cause damage undetected for long stretches of time. Whether you’re wondering if you have carpenter ant damage or you’ve already found them and need them gone, read on for advice from the carpenter ant exterminators at Garrie Pest Control!

Is That Carpenter Ant Damage?

People rarely ever find their carpenter ant infestation early on. Carpenter ants create their nests hidden away in our walls, and when their numbers grow large enough, they’ll even break off to build satellite nests around the building. Here are some signs of carpenter ant damage to keep watch for:

  1. Small piles of wood shavings popping up where you wouldn’t expect them to
  2. Quiet rustling sounds inside your walls
  3. Winged ants sneaking out of cracks and crevices in your building

Carpenter ants can be identified by their large mandibles that they use to chew through wood. They are around ¼-⅜” in length and are all black in color. Finding ants of this appearance near unexplained holes in your walls is a sure sign of a carpenter ant infestation.

How to Get Rid of Carpenter Ants and Stop Damage

If you’ve found suspected signs of carpenter ant damage or the ants themselves on your property, you’ll want to act quickly to stop them from creating more damage or spreading to new areas. You can try these DIY carpenter ant removal methods if you see fit:

  • Pouring soapy water into suspected nesting areas to flush out the ants
  • Mixing borax with sugar water to create an enticing, poisonous trap
  • Spread lemon eucalyptus oil, citrus based cleaners, or cinnamon around areas of activity to drive them away

The problem with DIY carpenter ant control is that it usually can’t tackle the source of the problem. All active nests must be completely eliminated to ensure that they can cause no more damage.

Expert Carpenter Ant Exterminators in Peekskill NY

The only way to know for sure that your home or business won’t be torn through by carpenter ants any more is to seek out professional ant extermination services. Here at Garrie Pest Control, we train our ant removal team to provide complete wood-destroying insect reports by extending their inspections to corners of your home you wouldn’t think to look. With the tools and expertise to get rid of entire carpenter ant colonies, we can make sure your building is never damaged by carpenter ants again. For a free quote, contact us today!