Do you see holes in your frame beams or on your wooden elements? Your home is likely to be under attack from xylophageal insects. To treat a type of infestation, the invading species must first be diagnosed. This is the work of the expert in parasitic management. Indeed, the techniques and treatments are not the same according to the insects.
Holes in the wood can be caused by different xylophageal insects: carpenter ants or house capricorns. How can we tell the difference between these two insects? Answer from the exterminating expert…
Carpenter ant or ant spoils wood
These hymenoptera of the Formicidae family dig galleries in the woods in the softest parts. They do not attack the hardest parts and the heart of the wood.
Ants have the quality to be clean and meticulous: the tunnels are regularly cleaned. They “sweep” dead insects, food residues, surplus wood waste… They drop them to the ground, forming a pile of sawdust under the anthill’s nest. It is a sign that informs about the presence of carpenter ants in your home.
What to know
Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but they dig galleries to install their nests or pantry. They therefore throw the wood chips out.
The house capricorn
The capricorn(Hylotrupes bajulus) is a beetle insect of the Cerambycidae family whoselarva is xylophagus. It can be confused with the spin or the lyctus. It is not the insect that eats the wood, as is all too often believed, but the larvae of capricorns. You can hear them nibbling on the wood.
It is the type of sawdust on the ground that will make the difference with the carpenter ant. The capricorn leaves a fine dust unlike the ant which leaves a large pile of sawdust.
The wood species attacked are mainly the resinous herb (spice, fir, pine, larch…) and white woods.
In summary, the two main differences that distinguish an invasion of carpenter ants or an infestation of capricorns:
- the texture of sawdust found on the ground: it is finer in the presence of capricorns. Ants leave rougher wood debris
- the presence of white larvae in galleries that nibble on wood: they are capricorn larvae that dig galleries to feed and turn into insects
Carpenter ants and capricorns cause significant damage in wooden structures. It is best to act quickly when you find sawdust that has fallen from a beam.
Treatment against xylophageal insects
The effective solution is a high-pressure injection treatment. Insect exterminators use high-tech equipment and insecticide products approved by the Canadian state.
It is advisable to treat the woods preventively every 10 years in order to maintain a healthy home.
In the case of infestation, a cure is needed to stop the evolution of the parasite to eradicate it. The treatment also prevents a further re-infestation in the wooden structure.
If you notice a mound of sawdust under a beam, under a staircase or a piece of furniture, it is advisable to call in a pest management expert who specializes in the treatment of xylophageal insects.
