Ants can be a huge nuisance, and once they find a source of food in your home, they are almost impossible to get rid of on your own. Once you have an infestation of ants, you need the help of a professional exterminator such as the ones at Truly Nolen Canada to remove the pests. Knowing whether you are dealing with common black ants or carpenter ants is key to removing them correctly. Here’s what you need to look for to determine which type of pest is in your home.
Size
There are several regular and carpenter ants species, and certain species are similar in size. In general, however, carpenter ants are noticeably bigger than regular ants. The thorax of a carpenter ant is more symmetrical than that of a common ant, and the head of the former species is heart-shaped while that of the latter is circular.
Colonies
Regular ants live in colonies of thousands of individuals. Their nests are easy to recognize as they are raised dirt mounds that have been known to house as many as 15,000 ants. There is one queen that is slightly larger than the worker ants.
In contrast, carpenter ants tend to burrow inside wooden structures. They may nest in trees or fallen logs out in nature, and if they find their way inside your home, they can take up residence in your walls. Colonies of carpenter ants are slightly smaller than those of most common ants, but they can be much more destructive.
Feeding Habits
Common ants are notorious foragers. Once they find a source of food, they won’t abandon it until it is gone. This is the reason regular ants are such a nuisance in your home. If they find crumbs or unsealed food inside your house, they’ll keep coming back for more even after you remove the source of food they found. They will return to the nest, however, because they are not indoor insects and only use your house for food.
Carpenter ants are much more destructive because they eat wood. While they may occasionally take advantage of crumbs left in your house, they prefer to feast on moist wood deep inside your house. This can cause significant damage to the structure of your home. Because they tend to reside in the deepest recesses of our house, you may not even know that you have a carpenter ant infestation until you already have structural damage.
Pest Control
Regular ants are notoriously hard to get rid of because they’ll keep returning to your home to look for food. However, in comparison to carpenter ants, common ants are easier to remove. Their nests are easier to find and destroy, and a good pest control company such as Truly Nolen can help you eliminate the entire colony so the problem does not keep reoccurring.
It’s much harder to find carpenter ant nests because they are usually located deep inside your home. You can’t kill ants as you see them and expect to solve the problem. The experts at Truly Nolen will help find the nest to be sure we get the entire colony when you are dealing with carpenter ants. This approach also allows us to identify structural damage that needs repair.
Call Truly Nolen for Ant Removal
Getting rid of ants can be tricky because the pests will keep reappearing if you don’t remove the entire nest. The technicians at Truly Nolen have all of the tools and skills necessary to provide you with quick, effective carpenter ant removal. If you need pest control services in Bridgewater to help you deal with an ant infestation, contact us today to schedule an appointment.