Date Posted: March 5, 2018
Category: Carpenter Ants
The weather in New Bedford, MA is looking nicer by the day, and it will soon inspire us to get out into our yards and start working on spring cleanup. Warm weather has a similar effect on carpenter ants. When it warms up, carpenter ants become more active. But they're not going to clean anything in your yard, nor do they work to improve your home. Their activity can actually do damage to your New Bedford home.
Carpenter ants don't hibernate. They simply slow down--or stop--when it gets cold. As soon as it isn't cold anymore, they speed back up. If they've been dormant for a long time, they're going to immediately go searching for food. This will bring them into your yard.
While many pests can be deterred by controlling food sources, carpenter ants aren't one of them. These insects can find a meal from a wide variety of places. They can find a meal on the plants in your yard as easily as inside your exterior trash cans, so making sure your trash cans have a sealed lid won't completely stop these ants.
One way you can make your home less attractive to carpenter ants is to address moisture quickly. Spring is a wet time of year because of all the snow melting. This can moisten the ground around your home, and moisten the wood as well, which is attractive to carpenter ants. Your goal should be to rake up all the leaves and wood debris in your yard and remove any clutter that will prevent the sun from drying the soil. If you have bushes or trees that prevent areas from getting dry, you may want to trim those to let the sun through. It is also important to make sure your gutters are in good working order and not obstructed. The faster you can dry things out, the more resistant your home will be to carpenter ants.
The best way to protect your home from carpenter ant damage is to partner with a pest control company. Carpenter ants are just one of the many destructive pests your pest control technician will address around your foundation perimeter. Some of the pests can also bring diseases into your home.
Start spring of 2018 off right by reaching out to Big Blue Bug Solutions for ongoing pest service for your New Bedford home. When you have year-round pest service, your home, your belongings, and your family will have the protection they need from the harmful influence of bugs and wildlife. For more information, or to establish service, give us a call today.
