Ants In My Attic

With rotting damp wood that is normally found near the roof penetration your attic offers sustenance to carpenter ants.

Ants in my attic. Like all ants black ants are very intelligent and they can be problematic when your house becomes infested. Carpenter ants prefer to nest in structural lumber such as in wall voids hollow doors windows and foam panels. Ants usually live in wood or soil outside the house and only march into your house to gather food particularly during the spring and summer. Dealing with ants can be incredibly frustrating the individuals are tiny but their communities are large so getting rid of one wave of invaders doesn t keep more from sneaking in.

These products are used to control insect infestations in many homes and office settings. Brown or black and about 1 8 inch long odorous ants look unassuming. Indoor infestations can be tracked by points of entry such as attic vents foundations cracks electric wires pipes and telephone lines. Along with red ants black ants are the dominant species of ants in the united states.

The vent pipes skylights and chimneys are areas ants can thrive building their nest from the wood available. Ants will build nests where ever they can find a suitable area to do so. Attics bathrooms and exterior walls are obvious candidates. Your attic is in their path.

Your attic is an ideal buffet. Dry wood termites on the other hand look a lot like ants and would have more reason to be in your attic. These ants are reddish brown and about 1 8 inch long and run erratically. So what exactly attract carpenter ants to your attic.

Ants generally prefer damp areas such as framing or flooring that s soft and spongy from a plumbing or roof leak. It sounds a bit out of character for ants to be in your attic they generally only are found in places that have a food source of some type. How to get rid of ants begins by looking for areas with water damage. While it would be unusual to have an entire colony in your attic it is not unheard of.

Carpenter ants typically seek wood that has been softened by moisture decay or other insects. I would defiantly take a closer look at these ants. The good news here is that the ants are visible to you and they are still going outdoors to forage which means they will walk through areas that that you treat outdoors. On the other hand ants may live inside the house.

It s important to note that the carpenter ants do not eat wood but are attracted to damp wood. However they have a rotten coconut odor when crushed. These small black ants are 1 8 inch long and usually found scurrying in neat trails to food sources. People can have a hard time dealing with a black ant infestation because these insects do not give up easily.