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If you own a home in Nashville, it is likely that you are aware that carpenter ants can damage your property. These insects are infamous. But do you know why carpenter ants invade homes in Nashville? They don't just get into every home they come across. There are factors that can lead to a carpenter ant infestation. It is important to know what they are. If you live in Tennessee, here are four reasons carpenter ants could get into your Nashville home.
1. Entry Points
When a mature carpenter ant nest produces winged reproductives, these insects take flight in search of appropriate locations to establish new nests. They may get into the ground near a dying tree. They may tunnel into a stump or log. Or, they may decide to target your home. One way they'll get into your home is by exploiting a gap, crack, or hole in your exterior. Once inside, they'll search for areas of high moisture, and they may tunnel into the wood of your home. Here's how they might get in:
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Gaps around the outside of window and door frames.
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Gaps in weatherstripping.
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Holes in damaged door sweeps, or gaps under doors where door sweeps are missing.
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Gaps around pipes and wire conduits.
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Cracks in foundation walls.
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Damaged mortar around bricks.
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Unprotected weep holes.
2. Rotting Wood
Your Nashville home can have no entry points and still be targeted by carpenter ants. Worker ants that enter your yard may work to create a satellite colony on your property. They prefer to tunnel in wood that is rotting. If there is rotting wood on your home, or areas where wood touches the soil, these can be targeted.
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Do routine inspections of your exterior, particularly around doors and windows. If you see any changes to wood, take note of them.
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Repair wood that is rotting or fill in holes that develop in rotting wood if you don't have the finances to apply repairs.
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Address conditions that are causing wood to rot, such as clogged gutters, plumbing leaks, dense vegetation, and ground saturation issues.
3. Carpenter Ant Activity Near Your Home
Carpenter ant workers are likely to establish a nest in your yard before they nest inside your home. It is important to be aware of the conditions that attract these ants. You don't want to give them a reason to be in your yard.
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Logs, stumps, trees with heart rot, dead bushes, and wood piles will attract carpenter ants.
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Wood pallets, construction materials, wood crates, railroad ties, and other wooden objects that sit on the ground in your yard can be attractants.
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Damp landscaping and moisture issues will catch the attention of carpenter ants.
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Unprotected trash will provide food sources for these and other ant species.
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A population of aphids in your landscaping will be an attractant because aphids produce honeydew. Carpenter ants adore honeydew so much that they are known to chew the wings off aphids so that they stick around and produce more of this sweet food source.
4. Carpenter Ants Find Food In Your Home
When carpenter ant workers get into your home by accident, they can come out and tell other workers that they should do the same. They do this by laying down a chemical trail as they return to their nest with food. If you don't want hundreds of carpenter ants coming into your home, it is best to:
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Keep your floors, counters, and shelves clean.
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Vacuum routinely.
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Store your pantry foods in sealed containers.
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Put dirty dishes in a sink full of soapy water until you're ready to wash them.
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Put pet food down during meal times and never leave food sitting in a dish overnight.
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Consider only eating in your kitchen and dining room.
Carpenter Ant Control In Nashville
When you perform routine inspections, stay on top of yard work and home repairs, address moisture issues, seal holes in your exterior, keep things clean, and remove wood sources from your yard, you may be able to prevent carpenter ant damage. But that's a lot of work; and, it is easy to get behind. When you have Perimeter Plus Pest Control or All-For-One Pest Control for your home, you don't have to work quite so hard. We manage pest pressures around Nashville properties. Every home should have an effective Nashville pest control plan to guard against property damage and pest-borne diseases. Let us help you get yours in place today. reach out to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Nashville.
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