New Jersey Carpenter Ants Ate The Dining Room Part II Of II

Posted on 06.01.09 in Ants, Carpenter Ants, Industry Tips, New Jersey Pest Control

In continuation from Friday…

It was discovered that an incredibly large nest of carpenter ants was living within the dining room walls.  Once a small hole was made in the drywall, ants came pouring out.  A larger hole was cut which exposed the vast galleries that the carpenter ants had created.  It was quickly realized that this was not a small job and a larger hole was cut.  The ants were quickly killed and then the clean up process began.  The damage to interior of the walls was extensive.  All of the paper that held the insulation was completely gone and the insulation was in a strange mass at the bottom of the wall.  Much to their dismay, the framing of the wall was also destroyed by the ants.  The exterior wood just below the exterior siding was nearly gone as well.  The resulting damage caused an 8’ x 6’ foot area of the wall to be completely destroyed.

Nobody knows how long those ants were inside the wall.  They do know that there were not any ants present (that they could see anyways), throughout the cold winter months.  The first clue that they had trouble came in early spring.  Carpenter ants work fast and efficiently to create vast homes for their colonies in a short period of time.  The cost incurred by this poor family was tremendous and unexpected.

There were two lessons learned with this infestation.  You should always keep your downspouts and gutters clear of debris or you could have water come into your home and cause rotting wood, which will likely attract carpenter ants.  The other lesson is, if you think you have carpenter ants, call a NJ licensed pest control company before carpenter ants cause serious and costly damage to your property.

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