Carpenter ants get their name because they are known for their tendency to build their nests in wood. These wood-destroying pests are known for their ability to chew through wood in order to create these nests.
Carpenter ants burrow in wood structures to build tunnels to work and live. They don’t really eat wood, instead, they gnaw on it to build a nest.
If you see carpenter ant activity in your house and/or one (or more) of your house walls buckle when it’s subjected to a large force, such as if you were to lean against it, you might have a carpenter ant problem in your walls.
Let’s discuss how to know if carpenter ants are living in your walls in detail.
Detecting Carpenter Ants in Your House Walls
Carpenter ants live in large colonies, just like most ant species, and each colony can have 50,000 or even more worker ants, along with a queen. They like to build their nests in structural wood like foam wall panels and wall voids, where they can find moisture and warmth.
Homes that have hollow wooden beams connected to walls or ceilings usually fall victim to carpenter ant destruction. That’s why it’s important for homeowners to know common carpenter ant warning signs to look for.
Here’s a list of the most common signs showing that you have a carpenter ant infestation in your walls.
Carpenter Ant Activity
If you see carpenter ant activity inside your house near walls, then consider it a red flag. It can be a sign that these creatures have built a nest in your property, which can be in your house’s walls, and they’re searching for food.
Presence of Flying Ants
Seeing flying ants indoors is another common sign of carpenter ant infestation. You’ll typically find these ants (or their wing remnants) on crevices, cracks, and windows.
Carpenter ants with wings are males or females and they leave the colony for reproduction. Winged females, after mating, usually look for a suitable place to start a new colony.
Seeing flying ants in your house can be a very dangerous sign as it can indicate that your house already has an established carpenter ant colony.
Sawdust or Wood Shavings
Although carpenter ants aren’t as damaging as termites, they can damage your house’s structure over the course of a few years if left unattended.
As mentioned, they make their homes in wood and do not eat it to survive, which means that more wood damage will take place as the number of carpenter ant nests increases.
As the ants chew away more wood, you’ll likely see piles of wood shavings and sawdust around door jambs, windowsills, and baseboards. These shavings are known as “frass”.
See Carpenter Ant Frass: What Does It Look Like?
It’s a clear sign that you have a carpenter ant nest in your house. You might also see pieces of other insects in sawdust and shavings, which carpenter ants have eaten.
Buckling Walls
There are several factors that can contribute to the buckling of an interior wall, including the materials used in its construction, the age of the wall, and any damage or wear that it may have sustained.
In some cases, an interior wall may buckle due to issues with the foundation of the building or due to the presence of moisture or other types of damage. However, the same problem can also occur due to carpenter ants.
Interior walls are typically designed to be able to withstand some amount of pressure and movement without buckling or collapsing. But if there’s a carpenter ant infestation inside a wall it’ll buckle if you lean against it.
It happens because ants weaken the structural integrity of a wall by chewing away wood to make tunnels.
Rustling Noises
Carpenter ant colonies can vary in size, but most mature colonies contain around 15,000 to 20,000 worker ants. However, larger colonies can have 50,000 or more ants, as mentioned already.
As the colony grows, it is more likely that you’ll hear the rustling sound of the ants tunneling through the wood to create their nests. It is recommended to listen to this sound at night when it is quieter.
FAQs About How to Know If Carpenter Ants Are in Your Walls
What Should You Do if You Have Carpenter Ants in the Walls?
If you notice any of the signs of carpenter ants discussed above, you should call a professional exterminator. They’ll find out the exact location of the nest and eliminate carpenter ants from your house’s walls.
When Are Carpenter Ants Most Active?
Carpenter ants are most active at night when they leave their nests to forage for food. In addition, they remain active throughout the year but their level of activity increases during the warmer months.
How Long Do Carpenter Ants Take to Cause Damage?
Generally, carpenter ant damage takes place slowly. It can take multiple years before you notice considerable damage, depending on the size of the colony.
Final Words
Although carpenter ants take a long time to cause damage, they can cost you thousands of dollars if left unchecked.
If you notice any of the signs discussed in this guide, make sure that you take steps to identify the source of the problem and address it as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the structure of your home.
If the infestation is severe, you may need to consult with a pest control professional for assistance.
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