
What is a Wood Ant? Carpenter Ants vs. Termites
Just behind termites, wood ants (carpenter ants) are the second leading wood-destroying insects that cause destruction to properties near and around Fredericksburg. Even though their numbers are much less than termites, these insects can cause a great deal of damage quickly to the structure of your home.
Carpenter ants are among the most recognizable ants found in and around homes. Typically, black and red, they may also be solid black or solid red and vary in size from 1/4 inch to about 3/4 inch in length. Using their huge mandibles, they can tear through wood or give a good pinch.
Carpenter Ant Damage
Carpenter ants will infest any wood structure, preferring moist or partially decayed wood. However, unlike termites, which eat wood for nutritional value, wood ants discard the wood to make their nesting sites. They get their nutrition from a combination of plant and animal food.
The presence of carpenter ants can indicate problems with the building, such as moisture, rotting wood, or other issues conducive to infestations. Most commonly, trees touching your home can be used as a highway for wood ants; however, they will travel along the ground to find their ideal nesting site too.

Carpenter Ant Treatment
Trimming trees and keeping brush away from your house will help prevent an infestation, but in no way is it 100% guaranteed. Hill Country Pest Control of Fredericksburg has many ways we can help prevent an infestation and/or rid your home of these insects. Our experienced technicians use a combination of conventional (Termidor) and baiting methods to eliminate the complete colony.

Sugar Ants Are Different Than the Rest
Woods ants are incredibly destructive, but Sugar Ants will invade your home more quickly than any other ant. Smaller than other species, these ants can reach smaller and more confined areas of your home. They are interior eating ants that prefer to be near water sources, like those in kitchens and bathrooms.
Sugar Ant Infestations
From sweet to salty foods, sugar ants eat whatever foods please them, not just sugary ones. Preferring to eat human foods rather than eating away at your home, these ants are not destructive like others. However, sugar ants are very difficult to eliminate completely because of their colony structure. Simply killing the queen will not destroy the colony since there are multiple queens per colony.

Treating Sugar Ants
If your home has an infestation of sugar ants, do not spray them with ant killer. This will worsen the issue when the colony ramps up production after realizing the foragers didn't come back to the nest. The best course of action is professional intervention.
After inspection, our service professionals will develop a plan of action for your home and offer suggestions on how you can lower the chance for re-infestation.
Give us a call to schedule an appointment!