Do Carpenter Ant Colonies Cause Structural Damage?

Carpenter ants can be a real nuisance for homeowners in Glendale, CA. It’s not just that their appearance is unnerving; they also cause serious damage by excavating the wood in your home, which weakens the structural integrity of your house. They do this to create galleries in the wood that can be used for nesting, and if the activity goes unnoticed for extended periods, it can put your home’s structure at risk. 

That means more money on home repairs and more time spent restoring your home’s safety instead of actually enjoying it with your family. Definitely not the ideal scenario for any homeowner.

Not every ant causes structural damage, though. Carpenter ants are the specific type of ant responsible for wood damage, and they’re typically much larger than the average ant, ranging from ¼ to ½ inch long. Queens can grow up to 1 inch long—what a fright that would be! Reproductive males and females develop wings for mating swarms in the spring, while regular workers are wingless, have a narrow, pinched waist, and a smooth, evenly rounded back. 

Why Moisture-Damaged Wood Is a Common Starting Point

Remember, carpenter ants don’t eat wood like termites. They use the wood as nesting points, and what makes wood even easier to excavate? You guessed it: moisture. Anywhere on your property with water damage or excess water—roof and plumbing leaks, window and door moisture, damp crawl spaces, decayed exterior wood, stumps and trees, and wood-to-soil contact—can create suitable nesting conditions.

While addressing these areas doesn’t fix the problem, fixing the moisture is an important part of ant control in Glendale, CA that helps reduce future instances of carpenter ant infestation and the damage associated with them. 

Signs That Justify a Closer Structural Inspection

To avoid inviting carpenter ants and the damage they cause into your home, you must first understand the signs of potential or growing infestations. These signs could look like:

• Repeated large-ant activity
• Coarse frass (sawdust-like debris that carpenter ants push out of the wood they excavate)
• Rustling in voids
• Ant activity around wet or decayed wood

If you’ve noticed any of the above, you’ll want to take a closer look at areas around your home that could be contributing to carpenter ants, such as entry points, overgrown vegetation, leaks, and decayed wood. 

When Carpenter Ant Activity Needs Professional Control

Signs of carpenter ants and corresponding damage around your home warrant ant control in Glendale, CA. While we can’t do major structural repairs, we can address other concerns around your property and use our EPA-registered products to create a protective barrier around your home. 

This solution helps stop infestations in their tracks and lasts for up to 21 days, after which we’ll return to reapply the treatments on a regular schedule during the season. Plus, we back all of our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, so if you’re unhappy, you can contact us and we’ll do our best to make it right.

Need help reducing pest activity around your Glendale property? Call Mosquito Squad of Pasadena at (213) 238-5564 or request a free quote online.