Moisture And Carpenter Ants Don't Mix

You often hear that food and ants don’t mix in your home. Ants are attracted to the food source, so they invade your home to get to it, and let's face it who wants ants contaminating your food? Moisture and ants are not a good combination for a homeowner either as moisture actually attracts carpenter ants and even makes it easier for them to get inside.

How moisture problems lead to carpenter ant infestations

Wet wood is porous, soft, and it doesn’t require drilling to get through. That is exactly why carpenter ants are attracted to wet wood. In fact, the moisture content in the wood is what makes it easier for carpenter ants to penetrate and eventually make their way inside. 

And once they’re in, you can bet they’ll get to work excavating through timbers in order to create nesting galleries. Unfortunately, this type of carpenter ant activity can lead to both cosmetic and structural damage. 

Why does my house have so much moisture?

There could be several reasons why your home’s moisture content is high. Many daily activities, combined with seasonal changes, result in moisture problems in your home.

• Poor ventilation
• High humidity
• Leaks in plumbing
• Leaky windows and door sills
• Melting snow and/or rain
• Aquariums
• Damp crawl spaces

Combine moisture with the warm spring and summer weather and you have a moisture problem and, potentially, a carpenter ant problem on your hands.

How to prevent carpenter ant problems in your Colorado home

Remember carpenter ants prefer wet wood; they rarely build their nests in dry wood. To prevent carpenter ants from invading your home and causing damage, we recommend the following tips:

• Reduce moisture in your home
• Use a dehumidifier in areas with moisture concerns
• Improve ventilation
• Repair plumbing leaks and cracks
• Seal cracks in concrete and foundations
• Replace damaged, rotting, or soft 

When carpenter ant prevention is too late

If you’re already past the point of preventing carpenter ants from infesting your Colorado home, contact EnviroPest for assistance. Offering home pest control services in Denver, Colorado Springs, and Loveland as well as throughout NoCo, our experienced team is ready to identify and tackle your carpenter ant problem.  In fact, we’ll find and address the source of the infestation and with ongoing pest control services, you won’t have to worry about these wood-destroying ants or other household pests for that matter again. 

This blog was originally published 5/15/17. It has been edited to reflect the most up to date information.