As the East Tennessee weather gets warmer, more and more insects will begin
to come alive, looking for delicious spots to invade your home. One pest
we are sure to see a lot of this time of year is Carpenter Ants. Carpenter
ants are large ants indigenous to many forested parts of the world, particularly
East Tennessee. They build nests inside wood consisting of galleries chewed
out with their mandibles, preferably in dead, damp wood, so with our typical
springtime weather it’s easy pickings for this home invaders.
To make matters worse, these pests are often confused with swarming termites as they can also be winged. Leading to a lot of confusion with people who aren’t familiar with either, and potentially causing more trouble when trying to exterminate one.
There are a few steps you could do to treat your home for these pests yourself.
First, you complete your inspection and identify nest locations and foraging
trails, the next step is to determine which control measure to use.
Baiting – used on Carpenter Ant trails
Spraying- Non-Repellent sprays used as perimeter treatment, may be used
with baits
Treating Voids – Foams or Dusts used in voids or galleries where
Carpenter Ants are nesting
The final step is to prevent further infestations by ant-proofing your home and yard, by clearing away rotting trees and lumber piles, fixing plumbing leaks, etc.
But at Preferred Pest Termite and Turf we want you to focus on what is really important, not the pests in your life. And we offer affordable pricing, so don’t get overwhelmed, call us at (865) 234-4008 today to set up an inspection.