WDO & Pest Control In Montana
Wood-destroying organisms and other pests can cause serious problems in the wooden structural components of a house, and an infestation may go unnoticed until the damage is already extensive. Control measures include preventing insect entry by sealing holes and cracks, and hiring a professional to apply chemicals for remedial treatment.  The most commons types of destructive insects are termites and ants.
Termites
Termites are not native to Montana but several cases of infestations in lumber shipped from other areas have been recorded in the past few years. They most often die off in the hot dry summer or cold winter and are not an issue. However if artificial condition such as moisture & warmth exist in structures built from infected lumber they can & do persist & can cause severe damage to a home. 
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Subterranean termites are the most damaging insects of wood. Their presence is hard to notice, and damage usually is found before the termites are seen. 
If you see the following signs in your house, you might have termites:
•       frass or sawdust-like droppings, which result from the termites’ tunneling activity;
•       dirt or mud-like tubes or trails on various parts of the home’s structure, such as wooden support members, plumbing pipes, etc.;
•       damaged wood members (such as window sills); and
•       swarming winged insects within the home, especially in the spring or fall.

Ants
We do have Carpenter Ants in Montana & they are most often the winged insect we see in Montana swarming within the home, especially in the spring or fall. They can cause severe damage over time.
Ants are among the most prevalent pests in households, restaurants, hospitals, offices, warehouses, and virtually all buildings where food and water can be found. While mostly harmless to humans, carpenter ants can cause considerable damage.
The following clues are evidence that your home is host to an ant infestation:
•       long trails of ants, perhaps numbering in the hundreds or thousands. Ants assemble in long trails along structural elements, such as wires and pipes, and frequently use them to enter and travel within a structure to their destination;
•       a few straggler ants, which are scouts in search of food and nesting sites;
•       holes or cracks in walls or the foundation, especially where pipes enter the building, and around windows and doors. These can provide entry points for ants and other insects.  The kitchen (where food is stored and prepared) is a particular problem area;
•       frass deposits, which result from the ants carving tunnels or galleries in the wood;
•       a distinctive rustling sound similar to the crinkling of cellophane. Ants are small but their nests are large enough to produce perceptible noise; and
•       nests in mulch and vegetation outdoors next to the foundation. Check under potted plants, patio blocks, stepping stones, in piles of rocks, lumber and firewood.

Other Pests
Living in rural areas means sharing our space with  critters. Snakes, mice, packrats, squirrels, skunks, scorpions and even, in rare cases, bears or cougars may be living in your crawlspace. While most pose little structural danger with the exception of allowing the elements the into  to the space , they certainly can cause nuisances and create other threats such as disease, bites or attacks. If you’re in your crawlspace for any reason (storing items, looking for moisture intrusion or a water leak, etc.), be aware of nests, droppings and keep your your escape paths in mind, carry an extra flashlight in case the one you’re using suddenly stops working.

Your crawlspace is also the most likely area in the house where hantavirus may be found. This is partly due to the fact that rodents that carry the pathogen are attracted to areas that are undisturbed by humans. Also, crawlspaces are generally dark places that lack ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can rapidly inactivate the virus. Exposure to hantavirus may lead to Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCS), characterized by headaches, fever, difficulty breathing and, often, death. There is no known cure, vaccine or treatment that specifically targets HCS. However, if the symptoms are recognized early, patients may benefit from oxygen therapy. Wearing breathing filters & eye protection is advisable when entering crawlspaces. If you feel there is an animal present in your crawlspace leave the area & contact a professional.

In many areas it is important to live in harmony with animals as best we can, to learn more about living near big carnivores visit The Great Bear Foundation  & People & Carnivores.
Keeping your property uncluttered & securing all your trash indoors or in tightly covered receptacles can help avoid attracting pests.
(In some rural areas of Montana bear resistant trash receptacles are required if you will be setting garbage out for pickup.
Trash is ultimately bad for all animals. )   

The Importance of a WDO Inspection
Regular inspections of your house are an important part of home maintenance. Inspecting for wood-destroying insects can alert you to possible infestations in the wooden structural components of your home—a serious problem that often goes undetected for a long time.  

Ants are among the most prevalent pests in households, restaurants, hospitals, offices, warehouses, and virtually all buildings where food and water can be found. While mostly harmless to humans, ants (especially carpenter ants) can cause considerable building damage. 
 Ant Behaviour
 Ants are social insects that live in colonies divided into three castes: queens, males and workers. Most of the ants you may observe, which are responsible for gathering food, are sterile female workers. Winged males and females will leave the nest to mate, and to find suitable locations for new colonies. After mating, the males die and the impregnated females (queens) shed their wings and lay eggs that will hatch into the legless, grub-like larvae. The queen takes care of these larvae as they develop until they finally become pupae.
Within a few weeks, adult worker ants emerge from these pupae and take over the job of tending the young.

 

How to Tell Ants from Termites
 Winged ants are often mistaken for winged termites, which also leave their nests to mate.  (Though we do not often see termites here in Montana, in recent years there have been seasonal infestations reported, these are cases where termite infected wood was imported & mild winter conditions allowed survival.)

These insects can be distinguished from one another by three main characteristics:

• The ant’s body is constricted, giving it the appearance of having a thin waist, while the termite’s body is not constricted.
• The ant’s hind wings are smaller than its front wings, while the termite’s front and hind wings are about the same size. Wings might not always be present, however, as both species eventually lose them.
• Winged female and worker ants have elbowed antennae, while the termite’s antennae are not elbowed.

Termites and ants both construct nests in moist wood, but ant nests are typically smoother and lack mud structures commonly found in termite nests. Also, termites actually subsist on wood, so the structural damage they leave it their wake is generally more severe than that caused by ants, which merely tunnel through wood.

To Learn More About Carpenter Ants Watch Video HERE

Nests
Carpenter ants nest in both moist and dry wood, but they prefer moist wood. Accordingly, nests are more likely to be found in wood dampened by water leaks, such as wood around bathtubs and sinks, poorly sealed windows and door frames, roof leaks and poorly flashed chimneys. Nests are especially common in moist, hollow spaces, such as the wall void behind a dishwasher and in a hollow deck column. As there will often be no external signs of damage, probing the wood with a screwdriver helps reveal the excavated "galleries." Another technique for locating hidden nests is to tap along baseboards and other wood surfaces with the blunt end of a screwdriver while listening for the hollow sound of tunnelled wood.
If a nest is nearby, carpenter ants often will respond by making a rustling sound within the nest.

The following clues are evidence that a building is host to an ant infestation:

• long trails of ants, perhaps numbering in the hundreds or thousands. Ants assemble in long trails along structural elements, such as wires and pipes, and frequently use them to enter and travel within a structure to their destination. Follow the trail to locate their nest or their entry point, such as an electrical outlet, or gap along a baseboard or around a water pipe;
• a few straggler ants. These are scouts in search of food and nesting sites. They, too, may be followed back to the nest to betray their family;
• holes or cracks in walls or foundations, especially where pipes enter the building, and around windows and doors. These can provide entry points for ants and other insects. Kitchens are other food storage and preparation areas are particular problem areas;
• frass deposits. Frass is the fine sawdust produced after galleries are carved out of the wood. If you suspect that a piece of woodwork hosts a gallery, you can tap on it with a screwdriver tip and see if any dust falls away;
• a distinctive rustling sound similar to the crinkling of cellophane. Ants are small, but nests are large enough to produce perceptible noise; and
• outside, inspect for nests in mulch and vegetation next to the foundation. Check under potted plants, patio blocks, stepping stones, in piles of rocks, lumber and firewood.

Exclusion Practices
 
A number of steps can be taken by homeowners to reduce the potential for future ant problems, such as:

• Store food items that attract ants, such as sugar, syrup, honey, and pet food in closed containers. Wash them to remove residues from outer surfaces.
• Rinse out empty soft drink containers or remove them from the building.
• Thoroughly clean up grease and spills.
• Remove garbage from buildings daily and change liners frequently.
• Correct roof and plumbing leaks and other moisture problems that will attract ants.
• Eliminate wood-to-ground contact, such as where landscaping has pushed soil or mulch up against the wood siding of a home.
• Clip back tree limbs and vegetation touching the roof or siding of the house. Limbs and branches serve as bridges between tree limb nests and the structure.
• Seal cracks and openings in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wires enter from the outside.
• Stack firewood away from the foundation, and elevate it off the ground. Never store firewood in the garage or other areas of the home, as firewood is a major ant nesting area.

In summary, ants are complex creatures that create structural defects in buildings. Inspection and exclusion techniques should be practised.


by Nick Gromicko InterNACHI used by permission.