How To Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants
In Portland, Oregon, we have ants everywhere. They are, by far, the most common pest that we exterminate as a pest control company in the Pacific Northwest. Many customers call us to have us get rid of nuisance ants like sugar ants or pavement ants, but the real threat to our customer’s homes is the carpenter ant.
Unlike subterranean termites, carpenter ants do not eat the wood in your house. Termites feed on wood, causing immense amounts of damage, but carpenter ants chew through the wood, creating galleries and places to lay eggs. These galleries will weaken a structure over time and can cause problems down the road. We just inspected a crawl space in NE Portland that had significant carpenter ant damage to some of the main beams of the home. Leaving this area untreated would lead to substantial structural problems later on.
Carpenter ants are the most common wood-destroying insect that we have in Portland and Vancouver. They can be found anywhere, whether it is rural or in the city, we see them all over the place. Many people will see carpenter ants and think it is a large black ant, but really, anything bigger than about 1/4 inch is going to be a carpenter ant that can harm your home. If you are not sure, be sure to take a picture and email it, and we can let you know if the ants you are seeing are carpenter ants.
The method that we use to kill carpenter ants has changed over time as products have improved. We used to drill holes in the siding all around a house and inject a product into the walls. This process was costly because it took a lot of time and a lot of product. Although we still have to use this approach from time to time, our preferred method is much simpler. Generally, our treatment will consist of a combination of interior baiting and exterior spraying.
The helpful thing about carpenter ants is that they are always leaving your house looking for food. Even if they are infesting and nesting in your home, their food (bugs, plants, etc.) is still outside. Our theory, when treating carpenter ants, is to get the ants that are coming and going to be infected with our product and bring it back to the nest to affect the rest of the colony. It does work very well, and we have outstanding results.
So, now you are wondering how much it is going to cost to get rid of these wood-destroying pests. We have a few options at New Leaf Pest Control. First, we offer a basic exterior treatment for just $98 that will likely work for smaller infestations. We also provide a full home treatment with a warranty that generally runs between $198 and $298. Pricing depends on the size of the home and the extent of the infestation. These are ballpark pricing, but if you are interested in getting a quote over the phone or even arranging a free inspection by a pest technician, please contact us, and we would be happy to set that up for you!