While not as destructive as a termite, carpenter ants Dallas OR are a wood-destroying pest most people do not want to see in their homes. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. They carve out nesting spaces in wood, leaving their telltale sawdust behind. Left untreated, carpenter ants can do considerable damage to your home. It is best the insect never makes its way inside. Here are four tips to keep your home free from carpenter ants.
1. Keep Woodpiles Away From Your Home
Carpenter ants prefer to build nests in damp wood. When likely ant nesting places like woodpiles are placed next to the exterior wall of a home, it is practically an invitation for the pests to enter the building through cracks around windows or foundations and gaps around doors.
Keep firewood and building materials a safe distance from your home.
2. Keep Trees and Shrubs Trimmed
By keeping trees and shrubs trimmed, you reduce moisture in areas that may not get much sunlight otherwise. Carpenter ants are attracted to moisture, so it is a good idea to keep the area surrounding your home as dry as possible.
3. Clean Storm Gutters
Storm gutters that are clogged with debris keep moisture trapped in around your house. By keeping gutters clean, you resolve damp conditions that attract carpenter ants.
4. Seal Windows, Doors and Foundation
Carpenter ants can make their way into your home around poorly sealed windows, gaps under exterior doors and through cracks in your home’s foundation. Once these home maintenance issues are addressed, you remove major routes for the destructive pests to enter the house.
While carpenter ants take longer than termites to do a great deal of damage, if left untreated, they tend to nest in multiple places, making them more difficult to eradicate the longer they stay in place.