How Can Ants Damage a House?
WouterWhether you live in a home or a condominium, ants can cause serious damage to your home. These tiny insects can also spread bacteria to your food. If you have an ant problem, it’s best to take preventive measures to protect your home.
One of the most common ants to infest a home is the carpenter ant. Carpenter ants can chew through rotten wood and weaken the structural integrity of your home. They also build satellite nests in your house. Carpenter ants are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch long.
Carpenter ants can invade your home through the cracks in the wall surface, under your doors and through holes in your windows. They also build nests in structural lumber, such as decks, fences and wood piles.
Another insect that can cause major damage to your home is the fire ant. These insects are invasive species that move in large numbers looking for food. Their colony size can quickly overwhelm native species of ants, leading to a major infestation. They also have a high reproduction rate.
Another type of ant that is considered a nuisance is the odorous house ant. These insects are dark brown to black in color and grow to about 1/10 of an inch in length. Their bite is fairly painless.
Other insects that cause minor damage to your home include termites and acrobat ants. These insects can create nests under wood debris outdoors, or in abandoned carpenter ant galleries inside your home. They also produce foul odors when crushed.
