What Does Carpenter Ant Damage In Lewisville Homes Look Like?
There are 18 recorded species of carpenter ants in Texas and most of them do not cause much damage to our homes. When they get in, they create nests in walls, ceiling, and floor voids—not within wood timbers. But, there is one species of carpenter ant in Texas that can be particularly troublesome. It is the black carpenter ant, known scientifically as Camponotus pennsylvanicus. If ants of this species find ideal conditions on your property, they can do a lot of damage to your home, over time. Granted, this damage isn't nearly as bad a subterranean termite damage, but it has unique properties that can make your home susceptible to water damage, sun rot, and other weather-related issues. Let's look at what this damage looks like and how it can be a problem for your Lewisville home.
Splitting
Are you seeing wood that is splitting? It is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between wood rot and carpenter ant damage. If you have wood that is splitting or caving in on a deck plank, you might have a carpenter ant infestation. This kind of damage can increase the damage the sun and the rain can do to these timbers, so it is important to have your infestation addressed quickly.
Tiny Holes
Are you seeing tiny holes in your deck, fence, porch or wood siding? When tiny holes appear in wood, they might be kickout holes created by carpenter ants. Ants don't eat wood. They chew galleries in it. When they do, lots of sawdust (called frass) is produced. This frass is pushed out of kickout holes. Look for this fine sawdust on the ground, floor, or stuck to the wall. You won't have too much trouble with secondary issues from tiny kickout holes, but when carpenter ants create larger holes, rainwater can get in.
Larger Holes
Unlike subterranean termites, carpenter ants don't have a problem exposing themselves to the air. So it is possible to see a hole created by carpenter ants. It is often difficult to tell the difference between a carpenter ant hole and a hole created by rodents or some other pest. If you find a hole that is in a damp location or is in the corner of a window or door frame, you may have a carpenter ant problem. Holes created by carpenter ants shouldn't be very large. They don't have any reason to create large holes to expose their tunneling. Most of the time, these holes will be small (chewed) gaps near the floor that give the ants a large opening to go in and out of a wall nest. Since these holes are usually created in damp locations, this can lead to mold, fungi, algae, and other problems within your home. It can also let rainwater in, which can cause wood rot.
Our FAQ
Have questions? We are here to help. Still have questions or can't find the answer you need? Give us a call at 940-239-9786 today!
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Do you offer any organic/green/low toxic treatments?
We do offer “green” treatments because we understand that though the synthetic pesticides that we typically use are quite safe, some people for various valid reasons prefer a green approach to pest control. In addition to employing completely non-chemical measures such as structural and mechanical alterations (weep-hole exclusions, recommendations on door sweep replacement etc.) and glue traps or other monitoring devices, we have a number of natural and botanical insecticides that we can use to treat your home or business.
We commonly use natural products such as boric acid, diatomaceous earth, and a number of different botanical products (pyrethrum, rosemary oil, cedar oil, etc.). These products can be very effective when used properly. One downside is that they usually don't last as long as synthetic pesticides, so we generally recommend a more frequent treatment cycle, such as monthly, when using these products. Just tell the person you speak with on the phone or the technician who services your property about your preference and we will be happy to accommodate you.
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If your company puts out rodent poison at my house, will a rat die inside?Yes, this is a possibility. Ideally, we prefer to use traps on the inside and in the attic, and then place rodent poison in protected stations on the exterior (which could reduce the likelihood of having a rodent die inside). However, anytime a rodenticide is used, there is always a threat that a rat or mouse could die on the inside. If the dead rodent can be located and removed, this will fix the smell. Otherwise, we sell odor control products to help with unpleasant smells should this unfortunately occur.
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Do you offer plans or bundles?Yes, we offer three different plans designed to meet your needs and your budget. Our perimeter, Home Guardian, and Home Guardian Plus are all designed to bundle your pest control treatment into a package that fits your needs. If there isn’t a plan that works for you, don’t worry, we will customize one that fits your unique needs.
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What type of payment options do you accept?We accept cash, check or credit card. We do ask that you pay at the time of service. Many of our customers put a credit card on file with our office. It is stored securely in our system and only charges AFTER the service is rendered.
