Yes. It is. While this may sound like a simplistic answer, you know it’s true. Every home in Texas is at risk for carpenter ants. You’ve probably seen carpenter ants around or inside your home. They are the large black ants that have a single node between the abdomen and the thorax. They are quite common. But there are some factors that can put your home at greater risk for carpenter ant damage. Here’s what you need to know.

Reasons Carpenter Ants Come Into Your Yard

There are many reasons carpenter ants will come into your yard. Some of the conditions that attract them can be altered or removed to reduce carpenter ant attraction. Some examples are:

Removing stumps and logs from your yard. These provide prime harborage for carpenter ants.
Move stacks of wood away from your home and elevate it so it doesn’t sit on the moist ground.
Rake leaves away from your home and never allow leaves to sit underneath your deck or porch.
Remove sticks or brush piles from your yard.
Remove standing water. Carpenter ants need a constant water source in order to survive.
Alter conditions that allow for high moisture and humidity. Moisture leads to wood rot and wood rot is highly attractive to carpenter ants.
Fix or replace areas of rotting wood on your home and on exterior structures.
Consider replacing natural wood flower bed borders with stone or pressure-treated wood.

Some of the reasons carpenter ants come into your yard are not things you’re likely to want to change. For example, an abundance of plants will lure carpenter ants in. Carpenter ants feed on aphids, scales and the honeydew they excrete. These are a primary food source. The more plants you have, the more likely it is that you will have insects and honeydew for carpenter ants to eat. But plants are a valuable part of most landscapes. While you can uproot all your plants to reduce carpenter ant attractants, this will leave your yard looking barren. There is really no upside to doing this. The better solution is to reduce aphids, scales, and other plant damaging-insects with residential pest control.

Reasons Carpenter Ants Get Into Your Home

There are two primary reasons carpenter ants get into homes. They get in because they’re near your home and they get in because they can. If you have lots of ants crawling around near your foundation wall, it might be because you have organic debris, wood piles, wetness, vegetation, stored items, or other conditions that promote ant activity. If carpenter ants are getting into your home, it might be because you have entry points such as damaged screens, door and window frames, seals around door and window frames; gaps in weatherstripping; damaged door sweeps or an absence of door sweeps; holes created by rodents; and more. While carpenter ants can chew their way into your home, they are more likely to exploit a hole that already exists.

Before carpenter ants get into your home, they are likely to chew their way into your fences, decks, porch, patio, stairs, and other external structures. They are especially drawn to structures that are made of old, untreated and unpainted wood.

How To Protect Your Home From Carpenter Ants

Over time, carpenter ants can do quite a bit of damage to your home. For this reason, it is not wise to try and manage them on your own. The best solution is to invest in a residential pest control plan that includes year-round carpenter ant protection. Pest professionals know how to detect carpenter ant activity and carpenter ant damage. When they are detected, they can be quickly addressed to prevent ongoing damage to the wood of your home.

If you live in our Texas service area, we can help you get control of the pests around your home. Innovative Pest Control is an industry-leading pest management company with over 25 years of experience and we make it easy for you to get started with residential pest control by offering a free, no-obligation pest inspection. Schedule yours today and protect your home investment from carpenter ant infestment.

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Carpenter Ant

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