Carpenter ants are a pest that can live in many parts of the world. They nest in and burrow through dead, and damp wood where they can easily build their nests. They do damage to homes by chiseling tunnels and passages through the grain of the wood, particularly the naturally hollow or shallow wood in your home. 

Carpenter ants don’t eat wood as termites do, but they can still cause a lot of damage to your home. Here are a few ways that you can prevent carpenter ants from damaging your home. 

Seal Your Home

The first and most effective measure you can take in preventing carpenter ants from entering and damaging your home is to make sure that it’s sealed tightly. Use caulking or sealant to seal up any cracks leaking into your home from the outside. Also, be sure you don’t have any leaks in the piping in or around your home. Pay close attention to areas within your cabinets, pantries, basement, and ceiling as well as anywhere that water might collect around your home. 

Dry up Leaks Around Your Home

Since carpenter ants love damp wood and damp places, you need to make sure that you are keeping the areas around your home as dry as possible, especially if you live in a humid climate, get a lot of rain, or live near a body of water. You also need to dry up leaks, fix the leak itself, and that any soaked, moist, or damaged wood is replaced as soon as possible. 

Keep Mulch and Chips Away from Your Home

Mulch can be a breeding ground for pests and carpenter ants, especially when they get wet. Make sure that you keep mulch at least 5-6 inches from touching your home to keep pests as far away from it as possible. 

Put Firewood Away from Your Home

Firewood is another spot that carpenter ants like to gather in. Mainly because damp firewood is an ideal spot for carpenter ants to burrow. To keep the carpenter ants away from your home, make sure that you stack your firewood pile plenty far enough away from your house.

Have more questions about carpenter ants or think that you may have carpenter ants infesting your home? Contact our extermination experts at Bug Man Extermination today.