Are Carpenter Ants Damaging My Home?

If you were to step back from your computer right now, go outside and walk around your block, the chances are that you would see a carpenter ant along the way.  The truth is that they are pretty much everywhere and most people don't realize that all these ants that they are seeing can potentially do some harm to their home.

Most people would probably think that termites are the most destructive pest in the Pacific Northwest, but in reality, carpenter ants are far more damaging in the Portland Metro area.  They are so common that you can probably find them in just about every neighborhood, so your home is at risk whether you realize it or not.

Carpenter ants are "polymorphic" which means that they can come in a lot of different sizes.  They do not "eat" your wood, but they do chew through it to hollow out nests for themselves.  You will often see their debris from the wood shavings that they excavate out of their nesting site.  This just looks like very fine sawdust.  The ants that you will actually see are called "worker" ants and they can travel up to 1000 feet from the nest to find food.  They will find parts of plants, nectar and other bugs to bring back to the colony to eat. What you don't see is the queen ant that is pumping out more and more babies.  The queen can live up to 25 years and produce multiple satellite colonies that can infest a whole neighborhood!  Once a nest is fully developed and infesting your home, I have heard estimates as high as $17 worth of damage a day that can be done.

Okay, so now what?
Don't make the mistake that the ants that you see around your home are not carpenter ants.  If they are bigger than a sugar ant, they are probably a carpenter ant and should probably be addressed.  If you have wood piles, shrubs touching your home or any other conducive condition, you should probably remove them right away.

The good news
Fortunately, as far as pest control goes, carpenter ants are not that difficult to get rid of.  They have patterns of movement that allow pest control companies to target specific areas to apply product where the worker ants will cross and bring back to the nest.  At New Leaf Pest Control in Portland and Vancouver, we charge an average between $100-$200 for the cost of a standard carpenter ant treatment.  This investment now can save a lot of money later on.  Also, if you just are looking for a preventative treatment because you have seen them around your neighborhood, you can do that for $88.00 with this coupon.

If you need any help with carpenter ants or if you just have a few questions, please do not hesitate to email me or call me.

Photo credit: Thomas Shahan / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND