Defense Mechanism
Humans have our own ways of preparing for winter, but so do ants. You see, rather than the first frost just killing them off, allowing you to enjoy an ant-free property until spring, the winter just slows them down. Ants are actually able to lower their own internal body temperature to adapt to the cold, moving very sluggishly and requiring less food. As they move slowly, if they can find warmth, they will. Plus, the smarter ants may have already anticipated the chill and located a place to weather the icy temperatures for a few months. Unfortunately, as the temperature drops, your home becomes a beacon of hope to desperate ants, especially the ones who don’t make nests in the ground.
One of the most common species of ants you’ll see in Elizabeth City during the winter is the carpenter ant. These are large (up to a half-inch long), black ants that will crawl or even fly around your home in search of moist, rotting wood that they can live in. Since they create nests within wooden structures, instead of building nests in the ground, they’ll already be set up nicely to hide away from the cold if they nest inside your home. Unfortunately, unlike termites, they don’t actually eat the wooden parts of your house, so they’ll still search around your home for food sources and loose crumbs, contaminating your stored food items and food preparation areas. While termites usually get all of the wood-damaging credit when it comes to pest invasions, many carpenter ant infestations have been known to cause hundreds of dollars’ worth of damage.
Preventative Measures
If you do see carpenter ants or any other ants in your home during the winter, they most likely already had a nest set up inside your walls. Now that it’s too cold for them to hunt for food outside, they’ll come into the high-traffic areas of the home, making them much more visible. In reality, you don’t have a winter ant problem: you’ve probably had one the whole year without knowing it.
If you’re lucky enough to have not seen ants in your home yet, then there are a few things you can do to curb your chances of incurring an infestation. The best ways to prevent ants from invading your home, especially carpenter ants, include:
- Taking care of moisture issues like humidity and leaking pipes
- Keeping trees trimmed back to prevent roof entrance
- Limiting loose crumbs by wiping down counters/tables
- Vacuuming or mopping regularly
- Identifying entry points and addressing the issue
- Storing food and trash properly
Help Is Near From Albemarle Termite & Pest Control
Now, you might think that list looks pretty exhaustive, but, unfortunately, it’s a small attempt to fix a potentially huge problem. Many homeowners prepare for winter by doing all of those measures perfectly and still wind up with an infestation. The only real way to get rid of an ant infestation within the home, especially a carpenter ant infestation, is with professional assistance. It’s time to call Albemarle Termite & Pest Control. They are a dedicated team of experts providing excellent services for elimination and preventative plans. Call Albemarle Termite & Pest Control today!