Dear Claire: What Should I Do About Ants in the Spring?

Dealing with Springtime Ants: From Malodorous House Ants to Carpenter Ant Swarms

In spring when it gets a little bit warmer is when ants “bloom.” The ants I’m talking about are the tiny ones that when you squish them, they smell kind of bad. These are called malodorous house ants. They’re perfectly normal and they don’t hurt anything. They don’t eat wood and they won’t eat your house; they’re just pests. They like sugar and you can often get rid of them with those Terro things that you can set up all around your house. I also have referrals for great pest people. They pretty much just treat them with Borax, which isn’t harmful to humans and will get rid of the ants too.

There are also ants that are a little bit more concerning that don’t look like ants. Spring is also when carpenter ants bloom. They hatch, sprout wings, and fly to find a new nest to set up for the next brood. You’re going to see they’re big ants with black wings. They can swarm all at once and they can do damage to the house, but they don’t eat wood. What they do is eat wood to create a nest, so they don’t eat it. They chew it up and spit it out and use that to create a nest. So, they don’t actually consume wood to eat it and feed their young.

Usually, carpenter ant damage is in one specific area. It’s not going to be like the entire side of the house that is falling down. This is the season where you’re going to actually see them swarm. If you have a carpenter ant nest, you’re probably going to see them swarming or you’re going to see them looking for another area to set up another carpenter nest. It’ not a very big deal to get rid of them, but you definitely want to keep an eye out for them because now, in the next month or two, is their time to shine, as it were.

If you have any pests or anything that you’re wondering about, please let us know. I have great references for pest people. Otherwise, they’re very useful to our environment, but they can be a nuisance. Not particularly destructive, but definitely a nuisance.

Reach out with any other additional questions you might have about all kinds of crazy stuff around your home or business, and especially if business is in our home. I’m always here to answer and address your questions in another Dear Claire video. We have our Home Happy Hour videos and a bunch of other home maintenance videos and fun stuff for you to check out on our Paris Group Realty, LLC YouTube channel. I’ll see you next week. Have a wonderful day!

Have more questions or want professional advice on buying or selling a home?