Montreal homes extra vulnerable to ant invaders

Finding an ant in your home isusually nothing more than a mild annoyance, but this summerMontrealers may find their view of the pest changing for the worst.

That's because ants are more common in many Montreal homes this year after a short winter allowed more of them than usual to survive.

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Sean Rollo from ORKIN Canada told CBC Montreal's Daybreak that thepest control companyisalready receiving a lot of calls about antsand are predicting a rough year aheadfor invasions.

Although ants in general may see a population boom this year, it's carpenter antsthat are the biggestdanger to homes, Rollo said.

Carpenters are easily spottedbecause they are bigger than other ants. But catching them is tricky.

Rollosaidpeople usually don't find themuntil the wood in their home is already compromised by the bugsburrowing their way through it.

"Typically they appear if there is water damage in the house. Theantsare usually a secondary concern," Rollo said. "In a wayantsare an alarm system that indicates there's a problem with your house."

Antproofing?

Carpenter ants are most attracted to wood that is soft because ofwater damage or in bathrooms where a lack of proper ventilation can cause wood to rot.

The home invading pestscan be hard to get rid of because even if they are eliminated from one part of the house, thatsite may only bea satellite nest.

Finding the main nest can be extremely difficult.

Adding strategic sealant and fixing water damage can help keep the carpenter ants away, Rollo said.He also suggestedtrimming any vines, which he says act as an ant highway.

"Ant-proof is a strong word [but] you can definitely make your home unattractive toants," hesaid.