Having destructive ants around can be frustrating and anxiety-inducing. Carpenter ants have been known to render even the soundest wood materials flimsy and unstable. Though you may worry for your home, you may also wonder whether your trees or other wood structures might be at risk of an ant infestation. So, should you call carpenter ant control in Oakville at the first sight of ants in your yard? In most cases, no.

How Do Carpenter Ants Live?

Carpenter ants are known as the most destructive of all ants and the most problematic ones for homeowners. But how do they survive in nature? Understanding this is the key to understanding the threat they pose to your home. 

Although many people think carpenter ants feed on wood, they really only remove it so they can create tunnels safely away from predators and people. Because carpenter ants existed well before humans ever built houses from wood, they are well adapted to living off many different natural wood sources.

Carpenter ants are nature’s recyclers. They have an important role in forest ecosystems, helping to break down dead and decaying wood so it can be used as nourishment for other plants and animals. Were it not for ants and other key recyclers, fallen trees would stay on the ground long after death and might even resist the onslaught of mould and decay for many years.

Fortunately for the world’s ecosystems, healthy trees are well defended against most common insects, including carpenter ants. For this reason, ants do not directly harm trees. They can, however, destroy the dying pulp, accelerating the process of death and decay. Because they can’t subsist on wood, they eat insect matter, nectar, and honeydew instead.

Most ants have a fairly complicated reproductive cycle. Typical female carpenter ant lifespan can be seven years or more. Queens can live even longer. Males, however, die soon after mating. While eggs can take as little as a month and a half to hatch, they can take almost a year to yield larvae in cold weather.

Since colonies are entirely dependent on their queens, a single colony can take around six years to become established in an area. Once successfully founded, a colony can contain 3,000 adults, though outliers have been known to grow to an astounding 100,000 individuals.

How To Prevent Your Property From Being Invaded

Sadly, once ants enter your home, there is usually little you can do to stop them besides contacting a professional. You can, however, prevent insects from encroaching on your trees and surrounding property. 

Because carpenter ants are chiefly interested in dead, decaying wood, you should remove all dying trees from your yard as soon as you notice them. Chip up remaining stumps to render them poor insect habitats.

Moisture alone is often enough to seriously degrade the quality of wood. A carpenter infestation is usually a result of a moisture problem that causes unnoticed decay in wooden support structures or flooring. You should ensure, therefore, that your home is dry and free of undiscovered rot. Regularly check any sheds or other outlying structures for rot or decay. Keep woodpiles dry and store them indoors. Dehumidify basements and garages.

Carpenter Ant Control in Oakville

Once you’ve identified an infestation in your home, you should call an expert in pest control immediately. A professional understands exactly where to place baits and how much bait to provide to remove an infestation effectively. They can also help to diagnose the extent of a problem and ensure that the insecticides they use are safe for children and pets.

At Truly Nolen, we have years of expertise removing the most stubborn, entrenched populations of common pests. We’re so confident with our services that we guarantee results. Call Truly Nolen today.