If you’ve noticed an ant crawling across a pantry shelf or scrambling along a window ledge, we understand why it would make one of your eyebrows lift. It is definitely a curious sight. Ants are warm weather pests–and carpenter ants aren’t an exception to this rule. They are just as much cold-blooded insects as all of the other ant species you’ll find on your property. So what on Earth are they doing crawling around your house when there is snow on the ground outside? We have to warn you that you may not like the answer.
When you think of ants, you probably get an image of mounds in your lawn and hundreds of tiny critters crawling around in the dirt. For most ants, this is exactly what you should imagine. Most ant species establish their nests in the ground. For this reason, it is rare to see these ants inside your home during the winter. Carpenter ants are different. They establish their nests inside wood.
In nature, carpenter ants can be found in stumps, rotting trees, tree roots, trees that have fallen to the ground, and other decaying wood. This characteristic makes them a problem for homeowners. If you’re seeing these ants in your home during the winter, it is because they have made your home their home. And, since it is always warm in your home, these warm weather pests have no problem being active all winter long. The real question is, “How active are they?”
You may be tempted to shrug this problem off, especially if you’re only seeing an ant or two here and there. But, you may want to reconsider. Carpenter ants are resourceful insects with a large list of foods they can survive on. Some of the things they eat you would never consider putting in your pantry, like dead bugs.
If you haven’t seen any ants in your food storage areas and no packages have been tampered with, you need to understand that carpenter ants can still get a meal. Spiders and other bugs come and go through your exterior walls, and live inside your wall voids. When these creatures die, they become food for other bugs. This is especially true if you deal with overwintering pests inside your home.
Carpenter ants are destructive insects. The longer you allow them to stay in your home, the more they will damage the wood of your home with their tunneling. Don’t let this problem go untreated.
If you are in our Minnesota, let Adam’s Pest Control deal with those winter carpenter ants. Our team of pest specialists will eradicate the ants living in your home and take the measures necessary to prevent future infestations from taking root.
