Do Ants Cause Damage In The Home?

Termites are dreaded for the damage that they do to the wood in our homes, feeding on it until it is no longer structurally sound. So what about ants? We mostly know them as nuisances, unless we are dealing with fire ants which have a very painful bite. However, there is an ant species that can do just as much damage as a termite colony. This species is called the carpenter ant, and it infests wood, creating colonies inside of it.

The carpenter ant is the largest ant species in North America, with jaws strong enough to cut through wood. Oftentimes, homeowners will have a carpenter ant infestation and they may not even be aware of it. This is because the signs of the infestation are subtle – tiny holes in the wood, and saw dust near its base.

Carpenter ants vs. termites

Termites are notorious for the damage that they can do to a building, and they may seem very similar to carpenter ants at first. Both species are heavily social and both infest wood. However, there are some major differences between the two. To start, they are from two different insect families, with termites being more closely related to cockroaches than they are to ants.

Termites also eat the wood that they infest, while carpenter ants eat protein and carbohydrates from other sources. This is why you may notice carpenter ants roaming around the home, while you will never see a termite worker outside of its colony. Termites may or may not build their colonies inside the wood, depending on the species. Subterranean species for example, which are the most common in home infestations, will create their colonies under the ground, and build tunnels to wood that they find on the surface. Drywood termites on the other hand, will have their colonies inside the wood, similar to carpenter ants.

Dealing with carpenter ants

The hardest part when dealing with carpenter ants is finding the nest, and you will usually need the help of a pro to handle an infestation. There are products on the market however that can help you with smaller infestations, products such as bait stations, sprays and dusts. If you think that you may have a carpenter ant infestation in your home, or if you have noticed any suspiciously large ants in your kitchen, contact us today and we can perform an inspection and removal service to make sure that your home is safe.