Residents of Cheshire, CT may at some point need carpenter ant extermination at their residence. The reason is that carpenter ants love wooded residential areas. Envirocare Pest Control has many satisfied customers in Cheshire, especially off the Mountain Road area and the streets off the downtown district. We also service condo complexes like Ives Hill Condos.
Pesticide Safety When Exterminating Carpenter Ants
The easiest way to rid your Cheshire home of carpenter ants is to use integrated pest management (I.P.M.). In its simplest form, Integrated Pest Management means to use many different techniques to rid a home of carpenter ants while not solely relying on pesticides.
Some examples of Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.):
- Repair water damage and leaks such as roof leaks, overflowed gutter or broken facets
- Keep firewood stored outside
- Use baits instead of liquid pesticides
- Establish threshold levels of pest activity
- Monitor for reoccurring pest activity
How are I.P.M. Techniques Used in a Home?
Repair water damage and leaks
Carpenter ant colonies normally nest in dead and dying trees, which are their natural environment. These areas usually are wet which allow the ants to chew through the wood easier. Your home is essentially the same IF you have water damage or areas that continual get wet and dry. Carpenter ants love wet wood.
Keep firewood outside
With today’s fuel prices it’s understandable that some people heat with wood. However, bringing frozen wood into a home may also contain hibernating carpenter ants.
Use baits instead of liquids
Bait type pesticides don’t get rid of ants any quicker. In fact baits are the slowest way to get rid of ants, but it’s by far the safest way to do it IF there’s a serious concern.
Establish threshold levels
It’s important to realize that the best pest control service can’t keep every insect or ant out of your home. Knowing this is important because seeing a few ants every now and again becomes easier to understand. Not every home that sees the occasional ant is infested or has a nest.
Monitor for reoccurring pest activity
Pesticides are not warranted in all situations. Simply installing monitoring glue boards to monitor for pest activity is a completely legitimate form of pest management. Once pests are caught and identified it’s easier to develop a treatment plan. This is how schools are treated for pests.
Use pesticides judiciously for carpenter ant control
Treating for carpenter ants is difficult under the best of circumstances. The problem with carpenter ant control is that ants nest in wall cavities. Exterminators use inspection techniques to find colonies since seeing through walls isn’t possible. Those companies that simply apply pesticides throughout a home with no regard to where a colony may be located are doing a disservice to their customers.
Remember this: anyone can apply a pesticide but you’ll need a trained professional to locate and eradicate your carpenter ant problem.
If you have carpenter ants and need service, call Envirocare Pest Control’s Cheshire office at 203-272-1735 or simply fill out the form. We’ll be in touch within one business day.