Identification of Carpenter Ants in Northern Utah

What some carpenter ants look like in Northern Utah - RentokilCarpenter ants can easily be confused with termites or other kinds of ants. With their affinity for tunneling through wooden structures and their recognizable appearance, it’s no surprise that people have trouble identifying them. Here in Northern Utah, carpenter ants have been known to cause extensive and expensive damage before even being discovered. So, how do you identify carpenter ants?

What Do Carpenter Ants Look Like?

These wood-destroying ants can look similar to other ant species, but they have some distinctive characteristics. These include:

  1. Their size: They are some of the largest ants that can be found in the United States, reaching around 1.5cm in length in some cases.
  2. Their color: They share the familiar black coloration of many other ants, but some have a particular yellow-red tint that sets them apart.
  3. Other features: Some distinctive features of these ants are their workers’ large mandibles and their swarmers’ long wings. Seeing swarming ants in your home is another sign that there is an active infestation.

Do I Have Carpenter Ants?

If you can’t tell which kind of ants you have in your home, there are still more indicators of carpenter ants beyond their appearance. These ants are known for carving out tunnels in wooden homes, but unlike termites, they don’t eat the wood that they chew through. This means that you’ll be able to find little trails of shavings and sawdust where they’ve been active.

Other signs of an infestation:

  • Discarded swarmer wings
  • Damaged wood
  • Ant activity in attics and crawl spaces

It’s safe to inspect your house regularly for any ant activity or nests in your wooden walls. When you do find ants in your house, check to see if they are carpenter ants, because the problem could be much more significant than a simple annoyance.

How to Eliminate Carpenter Ants in Park City UT

If you do find carpenter ants in your house, you should not fear them biting you or causing diseases, but there is plenty of cause for concern about the damage they might cause. The safest way to deal with an infestation is to let your local pest control company know. The ant extermination experts at Rentokil are trained to both eliminate active ant infestations and prevent future ones from occurring. Reach out today for a free estimate on carpenter ant control!

How to Prevent Lawn Pests this Summer

Chinch bug found in Northern Utah - RentokilWe’ve talked to so many homeowners that have put weeks of hard work into improving their yards, only to have them overrun with pests come summertime. With the benefits of spring rain and the promise of summer warmth, all kinds of pests will soon become active in our yards. Fortunately for you, our team of residential exterminators has years of experience serving homes in Northern UT, and we have developed an exhaustive understanding of the kinds of pest problems that Utah homeowners deal with year after year.

Frequent Lawn Pests in Northern Utah

Many types of common lawn pests live right underneath the top layer of your soil, making it hard to be aware of an ongoing pest outbreak. Here are a few types of pests to keep watch for in your yard this summer:

  1. Grubs: Grubs are actually beetle larvae – they are laid in the soil as summer comes to a close. After remaining dormant through the winter, they make their way toward the surface in spring to eat grass roots, developing into their adult stages and continuing the reproductive cycle. They are particularly harmful to lawns, so it is very important to exterminate them before they take over yours.
  2. Chinch bugs: These insects love to infest lawns that are already below full health. They live at the surface of the lawn, draining sap from blades of grass. You notice that your lawn is turning a unique purple-tinged yellow, meaning that chinch bugs are present, draining the life from your lawn.
  3. Armyworms: Coming in a variety of colors, armyworms will spread themselves all across your yard, feeding on sap from your grass and various other plants. They are the larval stage of moths, and feed through the early summer until they are ready to develop into their adult stage.

How to Better Defend Your Lawn Against Pests

Lawn pests can easily remain hidden until they’ve taken a serious toll on your lawn. Many common pests will eat up the roots of your lawn until spots of yellow-brown grass appear across your yard. Once your lawn has reached this stage, it can be hard to fix without hiring a professional lawn care company. However, there are a few ways that you can prevent lawn deterioration on your own:

  • Mow routinely. Try to mow your lawn once a week.
  • Irrigate properly. Both overwatering and underwatering your lawn can create suitable environments for various different pests.
  • Fertilize as needed. Nitrogen-based fertilizers are the most versatile and effective approach to fertilization in Utah.

Professional Lawn Pest Control in Northern Utah

To make sure your yard stays pest free all summer long, your best bet is to work with a professional pest control company. At Rentokil, our lawn pest experts can implement a variety of lawn care and pest prevention strategies as needed to eliminate any pest activity in your yard. For a free estimate on lawn pest control services, contact us today!