If you have carpenter ants, your home or building could be seriously damaged. Carpenter ants dig tunnels through wood and insulation, severely weakening the material.
When they tunnel through wood studs or support beams, this can create major structural problems.
Carpenter Ants are very common in the Northwest. They are large black ants that live in large colonies. Some have wings, some do not. Winged carpenter ants are often mistaken for termites.
Carpenter ants prefer to nest in decayed, often water-damaged wood. Occasionally, they move into the sound structural wood of a building. If they are permitted to remain there, serious damage can result.
Winged ants inside or outside a home year-round indicate an infestation. A seasonal presence may not be as serious. To be certain, professionals should take a look.
Sound Pest Management™’s experienced exterminators begin by locating all nests, which can be a difficult task. Once all nests have been located, the nests can be treated and the infestation can be removed. Then, work can begin to ensure the ants don’t come back.
While carpenter ants pose a serious problem, damage happens slowly so it is possible to treat the infestation and avoid serious damage.
Your Puget Sound Pest Experts
Finding every nest is the hardest part of carpenter ant control, and it takes patience and experience. Sound Pest Management has been family owned and operated since 2002 , and our technicians are fully licensed and insured. Customers among our 286 Google reviews describe technicians who are knowledgeable, thorough, and clear about what they found.
We’ll tell you what we see, what we recommend, and why. Estimates are free by phone, and new customers and senior citizens save $25 .
Careful inspection. Clear next steps.
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Winged carpenter ants are often mistaken for termites, and the two do damage differently. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood and insulation to make nests, while termites eat the wood itself. If you’ve found winged insects inside, don’t guess. A professional can identify what you have so you know what you’re dealing with.
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We start by locating every nest, which can be a difficult task. Carpenter ants often nest in decayed or water-damaged wood, so your technician checks moisture-prone spots such as window and door frames, crawl spaces, attics, and the areas around leaks, and follows ant trails back to their source. Colonies are large, and one colony can have more than one nest, so thoroughness matters.
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Once all the nests are found, we treat them and remove the infestation. Then we work to make sure the ants don’t return, starting with the conditions that drew them in, such as moisture-damaged wood and entry points. You’ll get clear recommendations, including repairs that are best handled by a contractor.
The cost depends on how many nests there are, where they are in the structure, how much of the property needs treatment, and how many visits it takes. Hidden nests in wall voids or attics take more time to reach than a nest in an accessible crawl space. We give free estimates by phone. whether to publish a range. Carpenter ant damage happens slowly, so treating early can stop it before it becomes serious.
We’re based in Federal Way and serve Seattle, Kent, Tacoma, and surrounding communities CONFIRM WITH CLIENT: service area. On the Eastside, we also have local pages for ant control in Bellevue, ant control in Issaquah, and ant control in Sammamish.
If tiny ants that smell like rotten coconut are your problem instead, see our page on odorous house ant control. A preventative service plan helps keep ants out year-round, and you can browse all the areas we serve.
As soon as you see signs of a nest, such as large black ants indoors, winged ants, or small piles of wood shavings. Carpenter ant damage happens slowly, so a prompt inspection can stop it before it becomes serious. A seasonal appearance may not be urgent, but ants year-round are.
Often, yes. Carpenter ants prefer to nest in decayed, water-damaged wood, so their presence can point to a hidden leak or moisture problem. They sometimes nest in sound wood too, so an inspection helps sort out whether moisture is part of the picture.
Yes. We give free estimates by phone. Tell us what you’re seeing, such as where the ants appear and whether they have wings, and we’ll recommend the next step and schedule an inspection. Call (206) 510-0464 or book an inspection online.
