How To Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants On Dallas-Fort Worth Area Properties

Pest control in Dallas often focuses on termites. While termites are a massive threat to Dallas properties, carpenter ants in Dallas are just as much of a problem. If you get carpenter ants in your house, you’re facing similar risks that you would with a termite infestation. Carpenter ants can attack your home’s structural supports. If left untreated, these ants can and will eventually render your home unlivable.

How To Identify A Carpenter Ant Infestation On Your Property

The signs of carpenter ants can be subtle at first. Most people are used to seeing ants crawling around their backyard and even in their house. Seeing the occasional ant crawling around your kitchen might not give you too much pause. However, if you start seeing big, black ants around your house frequently, it could be a sign you have an issue.

Carpenter ants live within your home’s walls, decking, or other wooden components. If you have carpenter ants in your house, you’ll likely see them near your pantry and kitchen, as these areas have food sources convenient for them.

The Extent Of Damage Carpenter Ants Can Cause

Signs of carpenter ant damage in your home are the most reliable indicators of a possible problem. Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat the wood they tunnel through. These ants simply excavate to create their colonies. This burrowing, however, eventually weakens the wood’s structural integrity and leads to its collapse. In the forest, this behavior helps the process of decay; in your house, it can lead to damage like:

• Bucked floors.
• Sagging ceilings.
• Bulging walls.
• Warped windows and door frames.
• Rotted decking, stairs, rails, etc. 

The Most Effective Way To Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants On Your Property

Many homeowners often use DIY ant control solutions to deal with carpenter ant infestations on their properties. However, trying to use store-bought products to get rid of carpenter ants in Dallas is a mistake because these treatments are almost always ineffective and leave your home with a continued infestation even if they do reduce the ant population temporarily. In the short term, DIY carpenter ant control will save you some money, but in the long run, it will lead to the spread of the infestation and even costlier and more severe damage to your home. 

That’s why you need to contact the professionals here at Bug Busters Of Texas. Our experts can identify all the carpenter ant nests on your property, and we use ant control solutions that eliminate the entire infestation rather than just part of it. That helps you protect your home from more damage, so you can rest easy knowing your property is safe. 

How To Prevent Carpenter Ants From Returning To Your Property

To prevent carpenter ants from returning, you should employ a mix of ant and termite preventative measures: 

• Cover all trash cans at all times to mask smells from ants. 
• Store anything that ants could potentially use as a food source in airtight containers. 
• Keep tree branches and shrubs trimmed away from your house. 
• Stow firewood off the ground and away from your home’s exterior.
• Seal all cracks and holes that ants could use as entryways into your home.
• Make sure all the wood components of your home are hard and dry to make them tougher to carve. 
• Have a yearly professional inspection to ensure your property is pest-free. 

While these steps help keep ants at bay, you'll need professional help if carpenter ants manage to get into your home. At Bug Busters Of Texas, we’re the best pest control in Dallas. We'll ensure your home remains safe from carpenter ants and other dangerous pests. Give us a call or visit our contact page to get started today.