Termites are every homeowner's nightmare, but there's another insect that should also strike terror into the heart of the homeowner. Carpenter ants cause millions of dollars a year in damage to houses throughout the country, but they're not as well known as termites. If you live in an area that often has wet or damp conditions, or if there is a damp spot in your home, your house could be at risk from carpenter ants.

What Are Carpenter Ants?
Carpenter ants are insects that live in hives. Their life cycle is similar to that of any other type of ant - they have queens that lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, some of the ants will be drones, some will workers and some will be queens. What makes them a danger to your house?

Despite popular belief, carpenter ants do not eat wood, but the do tunnel through it. They move through wood and create tunnels and galleries in their search for food and to create nests. In the process, they weaken and eventually destroy the wood in which they are nesting. If that wood happens to be a part of your house, your house is being destroyed. It's not unheard of for nests of carpenter ants to destroy structural support beams on which your house depends. The longer a carpenter ant colony remains in your house, the worse the damage they can do to your house.

How do you tell if you have carpenter ants in your house?
The most obvious signal that you have carpenter ants, of course, is seeing them, but it's not always a reliable sign that you have nests of carpenter ants in your house. Since the damage to your house is caused in tunneling to build nests, your biggest concern is whether or not there is a nest in the house. Carpenter ants nest both inside and outside a house, and they'll travel as much as 100 yards from their nest in their search for food. If you're only seeing the occasional carpenter ant in your house, particularly if it'd during the late Spring or Summer, there's a good chance that it's just a worker wandering far from his nest.

On the other hand, if you're seeing carpenter ants inside during the winter or early Spring, it's an almost sure bet that you have at least one nest indoors. Carpenter ants typically go dormant during the winter. If the nest is indoors, it may be warm enough to wake up the ants, or prevent them from going into dormancy at all. Since ants are most active at night, it's not uncommon for a homeowner to enter a room, turn on a light and see ants scurrying for cover. The most common places to find carpenter ants are places that are moist - cabinets, sinks, rolled up towels, tubs and areas around the toilets.

How to Keep Ants Out of Your House
Prevention is always better than trying to cure a problem that has set in. The best ways to keep carpenter ants from setting up shop in your house are:

-Eliminate high moisture conditions that attract them. That means fans in bathrooms, and dehumidifiers in rooms that have a high moisture quotient, especially in regions that are moist to begin with.

-Replace moisture-damaged and rotted wood before ants are attracted to it.

-If you store wood or lumber near the house or in a garage, be sure that you keep it dry.

-Stack firewood away from the house outside to prevent ants from migrating from the woodpile to the house.

-Remove tree stumps and roots.

-Keep trees and bushes near the house pruned and trimmed to eliminate ‘highways' that invite carpenter ants into your home.

Where are they nesting?
Before you can eliminate a nest of carpenter ants, you have to find it. The easiest way to find the nest is to follow an ant home. One way to make it easier to follow the ants home is to give them food. They're particularly fond of tuna packed in water. Set out little flakes of tuna, and then watch for ants. The tuna will actually make it easier for you to follow the ant back to its nest.

Controlling Carpenter Ants
While it's possible for a homeowner to control carpenter ants on their own, it's not an easy task. It's better to contact a professional. A homeowner can still play a vital role in eliminating carpenter ants by providing as much information about the infestation as possible.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/all-about-carpenter-ants-what-they-do-and-how-to-avoid-them-403291.html

Author: Stephanie Larkin

About the Author:

Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about large businesses for home owners such as Orkin and Terminix

Technorati Tags: Carpenter Ants, Exterminator, Home Maintenance, Home Values, House Maintenance, Infestations, pest control, Pests, Termite Services, Termites

One of the most exciting innovations in the pest control industry is the use of infrared technology and termite inspection. Infrared technology is used to detect heat in small spaces and is perfect for use in the termite inspection because it can detect colonies that are massed together and make it easier for the pest control operator to pinpoint the location of the infestation and effectively get rid of the problem in one fell swoop.

Finding termites can be difficult, yet knowing where they are located is important when deciding on the correct eradication program. The traditional method is to simply tap on the wood with the back of a screwdriver, or to poke holes in walls or even pull them apart.

Infrared technology and termite inspect now offers a new, high technological detection system that is quick, effective and does not require any damage to houses.

Infrared technology and termite inspection is being used with an increased frequency because it can easily detect the presence of termites by simply inserting a small camera at the end of a thin rod and then manipulating the camera around to find the termite swarms.

Because termites mass together to work on the wood, where there is one, there is always more. That's why infrared technology and termite inspection go hand in hand.

Thermal imaging technology detects heat patterns. When termites invade buildings, the normal heat patterns of the walls, floors and roof are changed due to the presence of termites. The thermal camera records this change in heat patterns and indicates the exact location of any termite infestation.

A color image shows hot spots as red or yellow and cold spots as blue or purple and these heat patterns indicate termite infestations. That means that infrared technology and termite inspection can be much more effective than the normal ways of doing a termite inspection.

Termite Bomb 6.75x26.5 Termite Bomb 6.75x26.5

However, termites are considered cold blooded insects, so how can they generate heat? Termites are hosts to bacteria, which live in their gut, and these bacteria help break down and digest cellulose, the main component of wood. It is this digestion and chemical reaction that generates the heat.

That's why infrared technology and termite inspection makes the location of termites much easier thus allowing the pest control company to target the specific areas where termites are located and make the treatment effective.

The pest control company that pairs infrared technology and termite inspection together is one that is highly effective and employing the latest tools in pest control so that they can do a great job for you - the consumer.

Termite Stakes 20 Pk Save thousands of dollars on costly exterminator bills-this at-home kit is exactly like the professionals use As worker termites search the soil for food they find the Transflur treated 4' long stakes consume them and die. So simple to install and use just place every 10 feet around your foundation. Pack of 20 stakes covers 1500 sq. ft. Not available in NY. EPA registered.

When the termite inspector is looking for termites, often, they will have to cause a certain amount of damage to the home in order to see if there is any evidence that termites have been there. That means opening up holes in walls, floors, etc.

With infrared technology and infrared cameras, all the pest control operator has to do is make a hole the size of the camera. The camera is mounted at the small end of a pipe much like what doctors use to perform arthroscopic surgery.

What that means is that the hole that needs to be made is very small. Once the camera is inserted through the hole, it sends back a very clear image that allows the termite inspector to see any possible damage inside walls and floors.

12 22oz Termite Prufe Spray TERMITE PRUFE TRIGGER SPRAYSpray into termite holes; mud tubes; cracks; crevices; wall and ceiling voidsPenetrates deep into wood and does not lose its strength with ageIdeal for infested wood; can be used as a preventive treatmentAlso effective against wood destroying beetles; carpenter ants; wood rot and moldSIZE 22 Oz.

Of course, any type of disturbance to an area that may have termite damage will cause the active termites to move to a new location to avoid the disturbance. That can interfere with any localized treatment that the inspector will suggest.

However, the camera can move about stealthily in a way that will help the termite inspector see where they are moving and then suggest ways to target specific areas where they think the termites have moved to. That's why it is so important to have
a trained and licensed inspector look at your property to determine the level of your termite infestation.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/detecting-termites-through-infrared-technology-795478.html

Author: Jesus Saku

About the Author:

Learn about how to remove a tick and ticks on dogs at the About Animals site.

Technorati Tags: about animals, animal, family, flying termit, formosan termites, grasshoopper, kill termites, pets, termite, termite extermination, termite pictures, termite prevention, Termites, ticks, wood termites

 

How to Protect Yourself from Termites

Termites exist in every state except for Alaska, and they cause property damage (millions of dollars of damage to homeowners) everywhere they thrive. Termites are particularly prevalent in Florida and other warm-weather states, but they can be a problem just about anywhere.

How do you protect yourself from these pesky insects? There are several ways you can do it without spending a lot of money. Let's jump right in:

1. Treat Exterior Wood to Prevent Termite Infestations

It's a forgone conclusion that we're more likely to take action after we realize we have a termite problem, but it makes a lot more sense to prevent a problem in the first place. If you have wood decks or siding, it makes sense to have them treated with pesticides before you have a problem.

It costs $1,000 and up to treat a home that is already infested with termites, but you for less than $50, you can have an exterminator spray a newly built wood deck with a pesticide that keeps termites away.

2. Avoid Storing Firewood Next to Your House

A lot of people like to save money by heating their homes with a wood stove instead of central heat. Or maybe you just enjoy a fire in the fireplace once in a while. Either way, if you've got a pile of firewood, you need to make sure it's not placed somewhere that it will give termites easy access to your home.

Since termites are common in firewood piles, you need to be aware that they can easily travel from firewood to a wood-frame house. To avoid this, don't store firewood within 10 feet of your home.

In addition, if you use decorative wood chips as part of your landscaping, keep at least three feet between the wood chips and the foundation of your home (you can always use decorative stones near the house).

3. Check the Exterior of Your Home Regularly

Ideally, you'll prevent termite damage before it can even start, but if you don't succeed, the next best thing is to catch termites before they do major damage.

Be aware of when termites are worst. They swarm in clusters from February to May (depending on how early spring arrives in your climate). If you spot a swarm, you'll known they're in the vicinity. Also, if your neighbors are having troubles with termites, chances are you might be too. Termites are more common in homes that are 35 years old or older, but they can trouble new housing developments, too, if the division was built near an existing colony.

To check your home, look for narrow dirt tunnels or tubes that rise from the ground. Both inside and out look for tiny wings scattered on the ground/floor (indicators that a swam has been through). Knock on wood and listen: soldier termites will answer with a tapping that means they're alerting the other termites of potential danger.

If you suspect termites of entering your home, call an exterminator immediately for an inspection. Remember, it's most cost efficient to catch termites earlier (before they do a lot of damage) than later.

Read more about termites and signs of termites at this natural pest control site.

By TC Thorn

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