Envirocare Pest Control has been working on carpenter ant issues in Middlebury, CT for some time. Also, the owner of Envirocare, David Bisaillon spends a great deal of time in the Town of Middlebury. Our company services the Region 15 school system and his son Dave Jr. has been playing tennis at Middlebury Racquet Club for years.
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Where are the carpenter ants in Middlebury, CT?
Everywhere! Whether your home is a part-time home around Lake Quassapaug or near the center of town you are likely going to have to deal with carpenter ants. The reason is that Middlebury is a rural town and it’s loaded with mature trees that contain carpenter ants.
Now that you know there are carpenter ants, what do you need to be concerned with?
Fact: carpenter ants are a wood destroying insect. However, they don’t eat wood, they chew through it and build nests in it. You also need to be aware that carpenter ants are a lazy insect so any damage that they cause is likely to be near an area of moisture damage. If the carpenter ants didn’t damage the wood then the moisture likely would have.
What does carpenter ant damage look like?
The very first time that a person sees carpenter ant damage they’re usually amazed. The reason is that when carpenter ants damage wood they will leave it smooth. So smooth in fact that it appears to have been sanded with sand paper. Along with the damage you’ll typically also find frass. The frass is sawdust that has been created through the process of excavating the wood.
Where is carpenter ant damage located?
Carpenter ant damage can be located anywhere in a house, but in general it’s going to be located in an area where there’s some type of water damage. As you know water damage can be located anywhere as well, but some of the most common areas where it’s found are:
- Door frames
- Window frames
- Roof valleys
- Garage frames top and bottm
- Where wood decks attach to homes
Where are ants and water damage most prevalent?
At one time or another, everyone has had a few carpenter ants walking on their wood deck. This can be troublesome, but still bearable, but what if it were 200 ants? That is exactly what happens when a carpenter ant colony is located where the deck attaches to your home. You’ll have constant foraging to and from a large and very active colony.
The cause of this problem dates back to when the deck was built. When building a deck the contractor is supposed to install flashing to prevent water from seeping between the home and the deck header. Unfortunately, many contractors either don’t do this or do it improperly. The end result of flashing being installed incorrectly is major water damage and a large carpenter ant infestation. It happens all the time and many people don’t even know it.
If you have carpenter ants on your deck or in your home, call Envirocare Pest Control at 203-879-6481 or simply fill out the form and we’ll be in touch within one business day.