If you are unlucky enough to be dealing with a carpenter ant infestation, you may be more concerned with the prospect of damage to your home than harm to your health. Carpenter ants can quickly cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to the structure of your home, but they don’t usually bother humans. If you are concerned about carpenter ant bites and how they might affect you and your family, here are three things you need to know.
What Carpenter Ant Bites Look Like
Carpenter ant bites are small and round. In most cases, they appear as small blemishes on the skin. They are often painful, but otherwise, you may not know you have been bitten by a carpenter ant because the injuries are so small. If you have been attacked by multiple ants, you may have a cluster of bites on one part of your body.
What Carpenter Ant Bites Feel Like and How To Treat Them
Carpenter ant bites burn because the pests release formic acid whenever they bite a person or animal. This acid stings as long as it remains on your skin, so it’s important to take quick action when you have been bitten by a carpenter ant. In most cases, you can get rid of the acid by quickly washing the injured area with soap and water to clean away the painful substance. The bite itself does not hurt.
Carpenter ants commonly draw blood when they bite because their jaws are so strong. If your bites are bleeding, you can treat them with an antibiotic ointment and cover them with a bandage. Because they are often itchy, it is always a good idea to cover them with a protective bandage so that you are not attempting to scratch and cause them to scar over.
Why Carpenter Ants Bite
The good news is that carpenter ants are not an aggressive species. They will not attack humans unless they feel threatened, so as long as you stay away from the insects, you don’t run the risk of being bit. However, carpenter ants feel threatened when people approach their nests. You may unwittingly cause the pests to attack you if you get too close to their nest or try to stomp on a trail of ants in your kitchen.
This makes removing carpenter ants extremely difficult. This type of ant often has one main colony and several satellite nests, and if you fail to remove even one nest, you will still be dealing with a full-blown infestation. It is always best to let experts handle carpenter ant removal because they have the right tools for the job and are less likely to get bit.
What To Do When You Find Carpenter Ants in Your Home
Because carpenter ants can cause a significant amount of damage to your home in a short period of time, it is essential to call in the experts when you see signs of pests. If you notice small piles of wood shavings, commonly known as frass, or you start seeing ants throughout your home, it’s a good idea to contact the experts at Truly Nolen. We have years of experience dealing with various types of insects, including carpenter ants, and we have the tools and chemicals necessary to get rid of an infestation quickly and efficiently.
Make an Appointment Today
Carpenter ant bites are not dangerous to humans, but they can be extremely painful. You can avoid this pain for you and your family by contacting a reputable company for carpenter ant removal services in Kitchener as soon as you see signs of pests. Truly Nolen is here to help, so contact us today to schedule an appointment for carpenter ant removal.