Moisture ants are wood destroying insects that many people have never heard of. Actually, if you havea wood destroying insect on premises, moisture ants are better to have than many of them -- such as anobiid beetles or subterranean termites.
Moisture ants are not, specifically, a single species of ant. They are comprised of different species (not unlike carpenter ants) that have similar characteristics. The attribute that makes moisture ants less of an ongoing problem than some other wood destroying organisms, such as anobiid beetles or subterranean termites, is that they only invade a home if there is extremely wet or rotten wood. So, as long as a person does not have plumbing leaks, exterior leaks at siding and trim, and similar issues, the moisture ants will not be attracted to the house. They tend to be easier to get rid of than some of the other, less particular about where they work, wood destroying insects and their damage is isolated to punky wood.
Keeping with my plan of doing client videos, narrated slide shows, that describe certain common problems, I am including a link below to my video on the topic of moisture ant infestations. This is comprised, primarily, of photos from my own inspections and from photos provided to me by Dan Suomi of WSDA and other great on-site photos that were given to me by Charles Buell, the top-of-the-line Seattle area home inspector.
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