Why Are Carpenter Ants In New Braunfels Hard To Get Rid Of?

Between San Antonio and Austin sits an “oasis” in the Texas hill country called New Braunfels, and it is the perfect place to unwind. New Braunfels invites you to get away and enjoy the wide variety of entertainment venues around the area, including one of the oldest dance halls in Texas. While local carpenter ants are not known for their “two-step,” they are known for excavating wood, and if residents aren’t careful, persistent carpenter ants in New Braunfels will cause some real damage.

Signs Of Carpenter Ants

Loggers might be master woodcutters, but black carpenter ants in your home are also pretty impressive. Because their excavation practices can cause significant damage, it is wise for homeowners to take notice of tell-tale signs that “announce” their arrival.

Signs of carpenter ants in your home include the following:

• Rustling sounds within wall voids

• Wood shavings (frass) that look like sawdust

• Pieces of insulation on the ground

• Swarmers/workers

• Tiny holes/openings in the wood

• Carpenter body parts

The Extent Of Damage Carpenter Ants Can Do To Your New Braunfels Property

Carpenter ants in your house love wood. When outside, they usually like to nest in deadwood (old stumps, dead trees, fences, and firewood). Once they move indoors, they can hide in various places.

Five areas carpenter ants like to hide when moving indoors includes:

1. Joists

2. Beams

3. Siding

4. Fascia boards

5. Crevices and cracks between structural timbers

Carpenter ants in your house usually tunnel into wood to make nests; they do not eat the wood. They are most attracted to decaying wood, moist wood, and wood with previous termite damage or dry rot, but they will eat dry wood if they need it. Nesting tunnels are smooth and clean.

Five damages carpenter ants in your house can inflict include:

1. Minor damage to isolated pieces of wood

2. Sloping floors

3. Window frames that stick

4. Door frames that stick

5. A lowering of the resell value of your home

How To Completely Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants

Quick action is necessary when you see signs of carpenter ants in your home. A mature ant colony has around 10,000 workers with multiple nests. Finding nests and eliminating a carpenter ant infestation is Gold Star Exterminators forte. Gold Star Exterminators pride themselves on delivering prompt, professional ant control solutions at a reasonable price. Our company has been serving the New Braunfels area since 1992, and we have a proven track record of providing safe and effective ant control to our valued customers. Call Gold Star Exterminators today for an inspection and free quote.

How To Keep Carpenter Ants From Coming Back

Wood damage from carpenter ants can be costly to repair; therefore, one ant control solution that is critical for homeowners is prevention. Homeowners must take proactive steps to eliminate conditions around their homes that attract carpenter ants.

Seven proactive steps homeowners can take to prevent carpenter ants include the following:

• Eliminating any moisture sources/standing water

• Placing dehumidifiers in areas that are damp (basements, attics, crawl spaces)

• Trimming branches that overhang your roof (Yes, carpenter ants will use them to get into your home.)

• Keeping shrubs around your house trimmed

• Filling crevices, cracks, or gaps on the outside of your home with silicone-based caulking

• Storing wood building products/firewood five inches off the ground and 20 feet from your home

• Inspecting wood (regularly) around your home for sawdust/small openings.