Do Ghost Ants Eat Wood?
If ghost ants have invaded your home, you may be wondering if they’ll harm the wood in your walls or furniture. While ghost ants don’t eat wood, they can still cause an infestation that’s both frustrating and persistent.
In this article, we’ll answer whether ghost ants can damage wood, explain why they invade homes, and discuss how to deal with a ghost ant infestation in Florida effectively.
Key Takeaways
- Ghost ants thrive in warm, humid places like Florida and often invade homes looking for food and shelter.
- These ants don’t damage wood but nest in moist spaces and forage for sugary or greasy foods.
- Colonies grow quickly, with ants forming trails and protecting aphids for honeydew to sustain their nests.
- Controlling ghost ants can involve sealing cracks, reducing moisture, using bait stations, or seeking professional pest management services.
Can Ghost Ants Cause Wood Damage in Your Home?
Ghost ants thrive in warm, humid climates like Florida, making homes in this region particularly vulnerable. Unlike carpenter ants or termites, ghost ants (Tapinoma melanocephalum) don’t eat wood or excavate it to build nests.
That said, here’s how these tiny pests can create problems for homeowners:
1. Attracted to Food and Water
Ghost ants love sugary liquids like spilled soda and sweet foods like fruit. They’re also drawn to greasy foods, making your kitchen a prime target.
2. Nesting in Hidden Spaces
These ants establish colonies in moist, sheltered areas, such as flowerpots, mulch, ant nests in wall voids, or even greenhouses. Their small size allows them to enter homes through tiny cracks or gaps.
3. Rapid Colony Expansion
Ghost ant colonies grow quickly, and new colonies can form as worker ants forage and find additional nesting sites. They often work with aphids, protecting them in exchange for honeydew, which helps sustain their colonies.
4. Trailing Behavior
Ghost ants create visible trails along baseboards, countertops, and entry points as they move between their nests and food sources.
What to Do About Ghost Ants Invading Your Space
To resolve your ant problem and keep ghost ants from returning, take these effective steps:
- Seal cracks and gaps with caulk, especially around windows, doors, and plumbing.
- Store sweet foods and greasy items in airtight containers.
- Place ant bait stations near ghost ant trails. Worker ants will carry the bait back to their nesting sites, eventually eliminating the entire colony.
- Reduce moisture by fixing leaky pipes and improving ventilation in damp areas.
- Replace decaying wood and remove fallen branches or debris that might attract other ant species, like fire ants or black ants.
- Clean up dead insects promptly, as ghost ants may use them as a food source.
When to Call a Pest Control Company
If your DIY efforts don’t seem to make a dent in the infestation, it’s time to contact a professional pest control company. At Native Pest Management, we specialize in pest management solutions for Florida homeowners. Our exterminators can:
- Perform a free inspection to identify the type of ant and the severity of the ghost ant infestation.
- Use eco-friendly methods to eliminate ghost ant colonies, including targeted ant control with safe baits and professional products.
- Provide ongoing pest control services to keep your home free of ghost ants and other invasive species like pharaoh ants or crazy ants.
To schedule your free inspection and get rid of ghost ants for good, contact us today.